Interior minister addresses Interpol in Kross case

Photo: Andres Haabu

Yesterday, a letter was sent to Interpol secretary general Ronald K. Noble by Estonia’s interior minister Ken-Marti Vaher, the latter considering it wrong for Russia to use Interpol as intermediary to an unsubstantiated search request.

According to Mr Vaher, we have to do with a political process by Russia. «We are standing on assessment by [Estonian] Prosecutor’s Office that the evidence gathered in criminal proceedings, including information gotten from Russia, provide no basis to suspect Mr Kross in seajacking,» interior ministry press secretary said Monday night.

The secretary added that, regarding occupation of cargo ship Arctic Sea, criminal proceedings were commenced in Estonia in 2009, a team put together by various European states to investigate the matter. «Russia failing to forward all materials, neither Estonia nor the international investigative team have been able to verify the validity of Russia’s suspicions,» she added.

Notice of Mr Kross being proclaimed a fugitive appeared at Interpol database at the end of last week. Reijo Valgjärv, criminal information chief at Central Criminal Police, said on Saturday that permission to declare Mr Kross an international fugitive was issued by a data procession inspection committee at Interpol.