Top Security Police figures acquitted in telecommunications privacy case

Seppo Nevala

Petri Knape

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Helsinki District Court has acquitted Seppo Nevala, the head of Finland's Security Police (SUPO), and Petri Knape, head of SUPO's operative section, on charges related to violating communications privacy.
      In a verdict handed down on Wednesday morning, Martti Pitkänen, the former head of SUPO's northern regional unit, was convicted of malfeasance and violating telecommunications secrecy. He was sentenced to fines totalling EUR 1,040.
      SUPO was suspected of having illegally acquired telephone records in 2000, and Nevala, Knape, and Pitkänen were accused of later attempting to cover up the activities. Both Nevala and Knape had been suspended from their posts pending the outcome of the trial.
      Nevala and Knape were charged with malfeasance, and Pitkänen was charged with malfeasance and aggravated violation of communications privacy.
     
Also acquitted was Juha E. Miettinen, former head of security at the telecommunications service provider Sonera.
      The court found that Miettinen had, in fact, illegally submitted telephone records of two individuals to Martti Pitkänen in November 2000, but that the statute of limitations had run out in his case.
     
Pitkänen was given the telephone records after he told Miettinen that the people in question were suspected of industrial espionage against Sonera.
      The prosecution alleged that Nevala and Knape had ignored Pitkänen's activities, and tried to cover them up. The court did not find enough evidence to back up the claims.
      The trial was held behind closed doors, but the court decided to make full public disclosure of the verdict.
      State Prosecutor Jukka Rappe announced that he intends to appeal the judgement on all parties involved.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Trial over Security Police scandal opens behind closed doors (8.12.2004)

Helsingin Sanomat