Slovenia threatens to suspend Patria deal

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Slovenia has threatened to suspend its planned purchase of armoured vehicles from the Finnish defence manufacturer Patria if the company does not provide a clarification of suspected bribery linked with the deal. A call for an explanation was made by Slovenia’s Minister of Defence Karl Erjavec in a television interview.
     “I demand a clear answer to why employees of the company have been imprisoned. If no explanation is forthcoming, I will suspend the deal”, Erjavec said.
     Finnish police are currently investigating the sale of Patria transport vehicles to the Slovenian military. A television programme aired by the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) last week alleged that Prime Minister Janez Jansa had taken bribes. Jansa has denied the allegations.
     
Patria CEO Heikki Allonen says that it is difficult for the company to take a stand on information that is in the hands of the police. He also said that he does not understand what the suspension of the deal actually means.
     “If it means a delay, the action would be a breach of contract”, Allonen says.
     The bribery affair is raising intense emotions in Slovenia, which is preparing for elections. The country’s Parliament is to be convened for a special session, where the only item on the agenda will be the bribery allegations.
     
The Slovenian government submitted a note to the Finnish government over the YLE programme. On Friday, Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Stubb (Nat. Coalition Party) responded to the note. According to the Foreign Ministry, neither Finnish political leaders nor officials can interfere with the content of programmes, or to get advance information on them. In the response. The ministry emphasised that this also applies to the state-owned YLE.
     The Slovenian government submitted another note to the Finnish government on Friday, diplomatic sources reported. The note was left at the Finnish Embassy in Slovenia. No details were given on the content.
     On Friday Stubb met his Slovenian colleague Dimitrij Rupel at an EU foreign ministers’ meeting in France.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Slovenia sends diplomatic note to Finland over YLE bribery allegations (5.9.2008)
  Slovenian government intends to sue YLE management over Patria bribery claims (4.9.2008)
  Patria CEO resigns amid ongoing NBI probes into bribery allegations (19.8.2008)

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