Postimees Digest, Wednesday, March 20
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POSTIMEES
Audit confirms puppet theater deficit.
An audit of the Estonian Puppet Theater ordered by the culture ministry confirms the theater's 364,000 euro deficit and also details copyright violations, failure to enter into contracts with tenants and missing authorization for the use of the theater's main hall. While the fire safety bureau of the Northern Estonia Rescue Center had deemed the hall's gas heating equipment hazardous in 2011, the theater continued to give performances. Culture ministry chancellor Paavo Nõgene said that it seems the puppet theater's budget was passed rather creatively and implemented even more creatively.
The theater's deficit has been growing gradually ever since 2011 when it amounted to 21,000 euros. Nõgene said that the ministry will wait for the theater's first half-year financials by which time it should be clear whether the supervisory board and the head of the theater Meelis Pai will be able to implement the budget and find solutions to remedy the situation. Pai, who is currently on vacation in the US, said that the theater has the necessary permit to use the hall and that he will comment on the audit's conclusions upon his return while supervisory board chairman Jaan Puusaag referred to criticism as malicious nitpicking in light of Pai's achievements and said he sees no reason to accuse the head of the theater.
ZeroTurnaround buys competitor with staff.
Estonian Java developer ZeroTurnaround has acquired Danish competitor Javeleon and all its patents. The volume of the transaction has not been disclosed. Head of ZeroTurnaround Jevgeni Kabanov said that the former competitor's founders Allan Gregersen and Michael Rasmussen will move to Estonia and join the company's team. The Danes will also get a minority holding in ZeroTurnaround. Kabanov said that the company will integrate Javeleon's innovation in its flagship product to offer clients more value. ZeroTurnaround's clients include eBay, Disney, HP, IBM, Lufthansa, Oracle and the US Federal Reserve.
Estonian Air unloads two unnecessary aircraft.
National airline Estonian Air has reached an agreement to return two Embraer 190 aircraft the company ordered but has no need for in its new strategy. The lease provider has agreed to find new owners for the aircraft in exchange for a contractual penalty. While the company's press representative Ilona Eskelinen did not want to disclose the volume of the penalty, supervisory board chairman Erkki Raasuke has previously said that the firm needs 8 million euros to terminate contracts or in other words to unload the Embraers. The airline has more planes it is looking to be rid of. Former CEO Tero Taskila's aircraft procurements have previously been criticized for excess generosity. Both CEO Jan Palmer and Raasuke refused comments in light of tomorrow's press conference where the company is set to shed light on the agreement and publish its financial results.
Tartu doctor transplants pulmonary valve
On March 6th, heart surgeon Toomas Hermlin performed a complicated procedure on two children, entering into patients’ hearts with balloon catheter via thigh vein, and from there on to pulmonary artery, providing it with a new valve.
For Estonia, the procedures were a fresh breakthrough. The operations were monitored by doctor Lars Söndergaard from Copenhagen University Hospital, who was satisfied with the surgery.
Both patients, young men aged 15 and 11, had been operated on earlier, as small children. The first of them was operated in Berlin while 3 years of age, the other in Tartu, at an even earlier age – and twice. The boys’ congenital heart troubles were serious and complicated. Both were characterised by constriction of pulmonary arteries and absence of valves.