The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is close to completing an investigation concerning the leak of confidential Finnish security information involving the Finnish Population Register Centre and a company contracted for designing data security mechanisms.
The suspicion of a crime falling under treason statutes is very unusual. Hannu Luntiala, Director-General of the Population Register Centre, says that the centre itself alerted authorities to the case involving the production of electronic identity cards.
“Our partner in cooperation had helped us implement identification services. The suspicion is that something happened that has threatened data security to some degree."
Lintiala says that neither the Population Register Centre nor its civil servants are suspected of any crimes or violations. He says that population information has not been in jeopardy in any way, or in danger of falling into the wrong hands.
“Citizens need not fear that their personal security or the protection of their data were under threat.”
The suspected crime of disclosing security secrets is believed to have taken place in May 2004. Two cases of suspected aggravated fraud have also been under investigation.
The aggravated fraud is believed to have taken place between September 2004 and June 2009. Police have confiscated material from at least the Population Register Centre and Fujitsu Services.
The top-secret investigation was revealed to the public after the late-edition tabloid Ilta-Sanomat disclosed on Wednesday that there are suspicions that state secrets involving Finland’s external security or the Finnish national interest had fallen into the wrong hands. Ilta-Sanomat writes that police have been interested in a Russian-owned company to whom Fujitsu Services sold a business unit in February 2004.
The NBI has been very secretive about the details of the case. Investigator Erkki Rossi says that the enquiries started in the summer of last year, and have proceeded in cooperation with the Security Police (SUPO).
