RAY requests police investigation into activities of Jukka Vihriälä

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The Finnish Slot Machine Association (RAY) has asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate the activities of Jukka Vihriälä (Centre Party), who recently resigned as Chairman of the Board of the state-owned gaming organisation.
      RAY wants the police to find out if Vihriälä has committed a crime of any kind when he failed to disqualify himself from decisions to distribute RAY grants to the same associations and foundations as had contributed to his own Parliamentary election campaign.
      RAY had no further comment on the matter. RAY will also not disclose the content of the request for the investigation.
      The request had not yet reached the NBI as of Tuesday.
     
Jukka Vihriälä and his political supporters sold art work to benefit his Parliamentary election campaign.
      In 2005-2007 the buyers included the youth housing foundation Nuorisosäätiö, the Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired, the Central Union for the Welfare of the Aged, the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare, the Finnish Lifeboat Institution, and the Friends of Youth.
      All of the associations received grants from RAY, and Vihriälä, as Chairman of the Board, had been involved in deciding on the support to be granted to the various groups.
      In 2007, when the most recent Parliamentary elections were held, Nuorisosäätiö received EUR 245,000 in basic support.
      Vihriälä resigned from his post with RAY last month after the matter came out in public.
     
Are there any other associations which would have bought paintings, Jukka Vihriälä?
      “I can’t remember if there were others.”
      When the art purchases were made, was RAY or the assistance that it distributed mentioned at all?
      “Certainly, RAY was not mentioned. I have made quite sure of that. It never would have occurred to me to link the two matters.”
      Why didn’t you disqualify yourself from decisions on distributing RAY aid to these foundations and associations?
      “I do not recall that there would have been any instructions that normal business would cause a need to disqualify oneself. Perhaps I just didn’t understand.”
      “I certainly did disqualify myself from decisions on aid if I happened to be in the administration of the association myself, but it never occurred to me that business activities would cause the same. This was not deliberate”.
     
Vihriälä did not want to comment on the request for an investigation.
      “I have nothing against RAY.”
      He added, however, that the news “naturally does not feel good”.
      “It pains my heart.”
     
If criminal proceedings take place, a possible indictment might be for misusing a position of trust.
      Embezzlement would not be a likely charge, as it would require the theft of funds or other property.
      Det. Insp. Markku Ranta-aho from the NBI said that the police would decide already this week whether or not it will launch an investigation into the Vihriälä case.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Vanhanen got campaign contributions for nonprofit housing foundation (21.9.2009)
  RAY Chairman Vihriälä resigns in midst of election funding furore (23.9.2008)
  Vanhanen sees no problem with foundations making campaign donations (22.9.2009)

Links:
  RAY website

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