Prosecution calls for six-year sentence in Nova case

Defence blames Nova collapse on bad economy

Arto Merisalo

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The prosecution called for a six-year prison sentence in the case against the former Nova Group director Arto Merisalo for aggravated dishonesty as a debtor at the conclusion of a trial linked with the bankruptcy of the real estate development company.
      The trial, which concluded on Wednesday with final statements by the two sides, is not the only case in which Merisalo and co-defendant Tapani Yli-Saunamäki face allegations of financial mismanagement and attempts to buy political influence.
      Prosecutor Tapio Nyrhilä bases his sentencing demand on sentences previously given for similar crimes. He also says that the case involves long-term activities which brought the defendant considerable monetary advantage.
     
The prosecution is calling for a two-year sentence for Yli-Saunamäki, and for a third Nova executive, the demand was for a four-year term. In addition, Nyrhilä said that all three should be banned from business activities for seven years.
      All three defendants have denied criminal activity. Merisalo was astounded by the demand.
      “It is probably the heaviest demand in years in this kind of an economic crime case”, he said.
     
The trial involving the bankruptcy of the Nova Group began in November. The prosecution maintains that the company was brought down by insider trading slipshod spending.
      The defence denies reckless use of money, and blames the recession of 2008, which caused a sharp decline in the real estate market. The defendants maintain that there were sound business reasons for all of their spending decisions.
      Both Merisalo and Yli-Saunamäki are also defendants in the trial involving the funding of the lavish birthday celebrations of MP Ilkka Kanerva (Nat. Coalition Party), a snowmobile factory in Rovaniemi, and the KMS association, which made political campaign contributions to candidates of its liking.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Nova Group trial begins – Yli-Saunamäki professes innocence (7.11.2011)
  Police investigating price fluctuations of KEVA snowmobile factory (25.3.2010)
  National Coalition Party and candidates to return donations from Nova Group (17.9.2009)
  Municipal pension boss obscured business contacts with Nova Group (22.6.2009)

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