Seven held for vote buy-up

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Photo: Teet Malsroos / Õhtuleht

Last week, seven persons were detained by Central Criminal Police for alleged vote-buying at local elections, most of them operating in Ida-Viru County.

Last Wednesday, two suspects in vote-buying were arrested in Ida-Viru County; allegedly, they had offered €10 cash for a vote. The names of the persons will not be published by Prosecutor’s Office; it is known, however, that one of them was a Centre Party candidate in Kiviõli, another being a person working for the candidate. In the company of the said two persons, criminal policemen also found one fugitive.

On the same day, criminal proceedings were commenced in Narva-Jõesuu. It is suspected that votes were being purchased, using cash, for a candidate of election coalition Lemmik linn (Favourite town).

On Thursday, two candidates were detained in Paldiski, suspected in convincing voters to vote for them, afterwards handing over €30. The persons belong to election coalition Põhjasadam (North Harbour) of the millionaire fuel businessman Aleksei Tšulets, which won the elections in the town.

On the same day, a man was held in Koeru Commune, Järva County, suspected in buying votes for election coalition Parem Koeru (Better Koeru) promising alcohol in return.

The last arrest took place in Sillamäe, Sunday afternoon, where two men are suspected in purchasing votes for a soc dems (SDE) member and for Movses Martirosjan, a single candidate. According to Prosecutor’s Office, €7-10 were offered for a vote.

Mayor of Kiviõli and winner of local elections Dmitri Dmitrijev (Centre Party) admitted he had his doubts regarding the alleged vote-buyer and party comrade; even so, without confirmation by Prosecutor’s Office, he was unable to reveal the names. «We have received no documents; we have had no dealings with Prosecutor’s office, nor with the police,» said Mr Dmitrijev.

According to Parem Koeru No 1 Aldo Tamm, he had heard of police vehicles driving around the commune and of people being arrested; even so, Mr Tamm does not know who offered alcohol to people in the name of his election coalition.

According to Mati Ombler, heat of corruption crimes bureau at Central Criminal Police, the investigators decided not to react too easily to reports of criminal offences too lightly. «We had no intentions to be involved in possible elections battles,» explained he.

The five suspicions, however, are serious enough. «Even so, this may not necessarily be all; as revealed by experience of former years, applications to initiate criminal proceedings will also be filed retrospectively,» said he.

Cases of votes buy-ups may have an effect of elections results only after judgements of conviction by court. Arne Koitmäe, adviser at National Electoral Committee, described that should a candidate elected into a council be convicted in buying up votes for him/herself,   his/her powers will be terminated prematurely and he/she will have to leave.

«When the candidate did not buy the votes, the act committed by someone else, the link is harder to prove,» admitted Mr Koitmäe. Should the counting off of purchased votes impact the distribution of mandates, Electoral Committee would have to revoke election results and organise repeat election.

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