Panel turns down candidates for Estonian police chief, goes for executive search

Illustration: Pm

After completing the evaluation rounds of the public competition, the commission evaluating candidates for the position of director general of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board decided not to name a candidate for the job and to continue looking for a candidate by means of executive search.

"With executive search we wish to make sure that the position of director general of the Police and Border Guard Board is taken up by a top executive whose previous experience enables to successfully head a complex organization that is the biggest organization of public sector in Estonia. The strong top executive must possess a fresh understanding of purposeful and integral development of the Board, a capability to analyze the position of the organization and the expectations of the public, and clarity about his role as leader and driving force in managing and bringing to life these possibilities and challenges," the chairman of the evaluation panel, secretary general of the Interior Ministry Leif Kalev, said through spokespeople for the Interior Ministry.

The panel will continue the search for a candidate by means of executive search.

Speaking in question time Monday, Interior Minister Ken-Marti Vaher told MPs the panel came up with no candidate for appointment to the office of chief of the Police and Border Guard Board. Vaher said the panel now embarks on executive search and will hopefully find a candidate who has executive experience and a clear vision concerning the management of the Police and Border Guard Board.

The Interior Ministry announced public competitions to fill the positions of director general of the Rescue Board and the Police and Border Guard Board at the beginning of this year as the terms of both incumbents, Kalev Timberg and Raivo Küüt, will end in March.

The competition to fill the the position of director general of the Rescue Board attracted seven applications and the competition to fill the the position of director general of the Police and Border Guard Board six applications. Earlier this month the evaluation panels shortlisted four candidates for the former and three candidates for the latter job.

Media have reported that the three names shortlisted for the job of chief of the Police and Border Guard Board were Erkki Koort, deputy secretary general of the Interior Ministry; Tarmo Miilits, the Police and Border Guard Board's deputy director general for public order police; and Tonu Hunt, deputy director general for border guard.

Incumbent Raivo Küüt tendered his resignation in November in the wake of a scandal over speeding fines issued by officers of the East Prefecture based on readings from an uncalibrated speed measuring device and subsequent cover-up of the case.

The evaluation panel that examined candidates for the Police and Border Guard Board's top job is made up of Kalev, head of the State Chancellery Heiki Loot, deputy secretary general of the Interior Ministry for rescue policy Hannes Kont, head of the ministry's personnel policy department Aivi Sirp, and Chief Prosecutor Norman Aas.

The director general of the Rescue Board, Kalev Timberg, completes his five-year term in the office on Feb. 28.