Second Finnish soldier under suspicion in Afghanistan bribery case

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Finland's central criminal police, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), now suspects a second Finnish soldier of taking bribes while serving in the ISAF crisis management forces in Afghanistan. The second suspect was arrested on Tuesday after having returned to Finland at the end of his term of duty.
      Both men are suspected of aggravated bribery, says NBI investigator Det. Inspector Olli Töyräs. They are believed to have accepted tens of thousands of US dollars in kickbacks from local building contractors in connection with humanitarian aid projects, in which Finnish forces invite bids for contracts from outside companies.
      According to Töyräs, the men - both reservists - are suspected of having taken bribes on more than one occasion during a period from 2004 to 2005.
     
The allegations came to light at the beginning of September as a result of suspicions voiced within the Finnish force in Afghanistan.
      At that point only one Finnish military civil servant, serving in the country as an interpreter, was under suspicion. He had been discharged from his duties and sent back to Finland in August. He was detained briefly, but has since been released.
     
Currently, two investigators from the NBI and one from the Defence Staff are gathering information on the case in Kabul. They want to know whether or not the two men have been cooperating, Töyräs reports. Apparently police do not believe any others were involved in the bribery offences.
      Investigator Olli Töyräs anticipates that the preliminary investigation should be completed in a couple of months.
      The first Finnish peacekeeping troops joined the NATO-led ISAF operation in Afghanistan in January 2002.
      The mission of the ISAF forces is to assist the Afghan administration and to protect the work of the United Nations and international reconstruction efforts. About 100 Finnish peacekeepers are involved in the Afghan operation.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finnish field commander: Peacekeeping becoming too demanding for volunteers (24.10.2006)
  Finnish military official suspected of taking bribes in Afghanistan (7.9.2006)

Helsingin Sanomat