Ilta-Sanomat: Vanhanen's house does not contain timber claimed in YLE programme

YLE urges Vanhanen to bring matter to court, in order that anonymous source may testify

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According to Thursday's edition of the tabloid Ilta-Sanomat, the detached home of Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre Party) in Nurmijärvi has not made use of the expensive timber that was alleged in a recent investigative journalism programme screened by the Finnish Broadcasting Company, YLE.
      As we have previously reported, Vanhanen - who took considerable exception to the programme's suggestion that some years ago he had been in receipt of an expensive consignment of wood for which he did not have to pay - arranged for an independent survey of his house by representatives of a building trade magazine.
     
The inspection by staff from the magazine TM Rakennusmaailma took place on Wednesday, and according to Ilta-Sanomat one of those taking part, Matti Eklund, said: "We found no timber in the structures of the building that would match the claims made by YLE".
      The YLE Silminnäkijä ("Eye Witness") programme, which explored the connections between the Centre Party and the Nuorisosäätiö youth housing foundation, had suggested at one point that Vanhanen had received the free delivery from a building firm that sought additional contract work from the foundation.
     
There was a clear dispute over the value of the consignment. Vanhanen acknowledged only one delivery that matched the programme's description, but dismissed it as being of minimal value and consisting of unfinished planks.
      The programme-makers charged that the value of the construction materials would have been considerable, even by the Prime Minister's standards.
     
On YLE's side the matters are complicated by the use of an anonymous source, whose identity should be protected. The source has apparently signed a document to the effect that he will testify in court on the matter if necessary.
      The Head of Current Affairs Programming at YLE Jyrki Richt stated on Thursday that he still stands behind the claims made in the Silminnäkijä programme.
     
At the same time he clarifies in Ilta-Sanomat that the programme's report did not ever claim the consignment would be found from Vanhanen's house.
      "The building contractor had paid for the consignment of wood, which according to our source was intended for delivery to Vanhanen. We do not know if the lot of wood ever even went to Vanhanen", said Richt. "And it is hardly likely our source was present in person at the point of delivery."
      According to Richt, the best way of arriving at a full resolution to the matter is if the case is taken to court, at which point the YLE source could go public.
     
The fact that nothing was found has been generally received without surprise: it is unlikely that Mr. Vanhanen would have invited inspectors into his home otherwise.
      However, as Helsingin Sanomat's Marko Junkkari comments in Thursday's edition of the newspaper, even if a clean bill of health on the timber has been received, there are still many unanswered questions.
      One concerns the role of the Prime Minister - who was chairman of the Nuorisosäätiö foundation between 1998 and 2003 and deputy chairman for more than a decade prior to 1998 - in an entity that was operating in violation of rules governing such foundations.
      Nuorisosäätiö surfaced in the news some weeks ago when it was shown that the youth housing foundation had donated money for Vanhanen's presidential election campaign in 2006 and had itself been in receipt of considerable grant funding from the Finnish Slot Machine Association (RAY).
      The revelations have led to the resignation of both the RAY Chairman Jukka Vihriälä and the Nuorisosäätiö Chairman, Centre Party MP Antti Kaikkonen.
      RAY has since requested a police investigation into Vihriälä's activities.
     
     
The story - just one more spin-off from the ongoing discussion on election financing - is a complex and convoluted one, but hopefully the links below will help somewhat.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  YLE clarifies claims over Vanhanen´s timber delivery (30.9.2009)
  YLE claims: PM Vanhanen received building materials from construction company free of charge (29.9.2009)
  Vanhanen refuses to accept sole responsibility for election funding row (28.9.2009)
  No police investigation over Vanhanen´s boards (2.10.2009)
  Vanhanen goes on offensive against YLE over corruption allegations (30.9.2009)
  Vanhanen got campaign contributions from nonprofit housing foundation (21.9.2009)

See also:
  YLE also highlights foundation abuses in the Social Democrat camp (1.10.2009)
  Vanhanen and Kaikkonen silent about alleged misdemeanours at Nuorisosäätiö (1.10.2009)
  RAY requests police investigation into activities of Jukka Vihriälä (7.10.2009)
  RAY Chairman Vihriälä resigns in midst of election funding furore (23.9.2009)

Helsingin Sanomat