Prosecutor General: No charges against Vanhanen

Ex PM’s fate in the hands of politicians and professors

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The Constitutional Law Committee of the Finnish Parliament heard the views of Prosecutor General Matti Nissinen on whether or not former Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) should be prosecuted.
      Nissinen’s view was that the threshold for prosecution has not been reached in the case involving suspicions of wrongdoing in connection with election funding. The interpretation of the presiding officers of the committee was that Nissinen’s stand was very conditional.
     
The top prosecutor’s statement was declared confidential, lest it excessively influence the views of experts, for instance.
      Helsingin Sanomat has learned that the view of Prosecutor General Nissinen came up only after an hour of discussions, in which he had answered a direct yes-or-no question from one Member of Parliament.
     
Committee chairman Kimmo Sasi (Nat. Coalition Party) and vice chairman Jacob Söderman (SDP) said that Nissinen had drawn attention to issues of conflict of interest, consequences of malfeasance, and the fine points of ministerial responsibility. Sasi and Söderman said that Nissinen had not expressed any unequivocal views.
      “The view was very conditional”, Söderman said.
      The issue at hand is whether or not Vanhanen should face a court of impeachment for violations committed while in office.
     
While in office, Vanhanen took part in a decision on approving a grant from revenues of the state-run Finnish Slot Machine Association to Nuorisosäätiö, a youth housing foundation, even though he had received funding from the foundation for his presidential election campaign.
      “There is reason to consider additional investigations”, Sasi said.
     
The committee’s decision not to disclose details of Nissinen’s comments was compromised later, when the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) found out what he had said.
      Sasi felt that Nissinen’s statements were somewhat awkward from the point of view of further action, but nevertheless understandable.
     
Sasi feels that further investigation is needed. Next week the committee will hear from experts of administrative law, criminal law, and constitutional law.
      The committee now wants to examine the matter as thoroughly as possible and to leave no gaps.
      Sasi said that he wants to establish “confidence in the process”.
     
Matti Vanhanen himself will be allowed to give a final statement after acquainting himself with all of the reports.
      The entire process will take weeks, and possibly as long as a month. The committee hopes to reach a consensus on the important matter.
     
In a possible impeachment trial of former Prime Minister Vanhanen, Nissinen would serve as a prosecutor.
      The committee also has the option of issuing a reprimand. A decision on whether or not to press charges is to be made by the full Parliament.
     


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Consideration of charges in election campaign funding case to be completed in spring (3.1.2011)
  Vanhanen and Kaikkonen silent about alleged misdemeanours at Nuorisosäätiö (1.10.2010)
  Prosecutor: Big questions left unanswered in Vanhanen investigation (4.1.2011)

Helsingin Sanomat