Environment minister escapes criminal charges

Risto Berendson
, reporter
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Photo: Mihkel Maripuu / Postimees

In the alleged bankruptcy crime of Autorollo, criminal case befalls owner of company Väino Pentus, father of environment minister Keit Pentus-Rosimannus (Reform Party).

In the investigation of the Autorollo bankruptcy – filed over two years ago – economic police and Prosecutor’s Office have finally come to bringing criminal charges.

According to Postimees’ knowledge, environment minister Ms Pentus-Rosimannus and her husband Rain Rosimannus will both escape charges. By Autorollo’s creditors, the two were accused in peculating money out of the company and doing the actual decision-making regarding its management.  

The reason the minister and her husband are cleared is simple: in a bankruptcy crime, it is difficult to bring charges against persons who, at the time of a company becoming insolvent, were not in its management – legally speaking. 

Meanwhile, the minister’s father and major Autorollo shareholder Väino Pentus looks likely to face a criminal case. According to data possessed by Postimees, the man was on Friday summoned to North District Prosecutor’s Office to hear the charges. 

Whether or not Mr Pentus showed up, the Office so far declines to specify. «In the criminal case, we are in the process of bringing the charges; to whom and for what, specifically, we cannot specify at the moment,» goes the official response.

Probably, part of the responsibility also falls on sworn lawyer Siim Roode, recruited by Rain Rosimannus to reorganise the financially ailing Autorollo.

Tiit Pohl, another board member of the company, said he’d not been summoned by Prosecutor’s Office. «I did not have much to manage there, you see, having not been involved in the business for the two final years,» said Mr Pohl.

Investigation of the Autorollo criminal case, initiated on basis of application by trustee in bankruptcy Martin Krupp in March 2012, turned out longer than expected. The material to be reviewed was bulky, and the initial audit by Estonian Forensic Science proved unsatisfactory.

Therefore, after waiting for almost half a year, financial audit had to be ordered from a foreign private company. The audit was finalised by autumn of 2013 already, after which it was principally decided for Prosecutor’s Office to take the case into court. Still, it took another eight months till the charges were brought.

According to Prosecutor’s Office, the Autorollo criminal case is based on four clauses: failure to file bankruptcy petition; causing insolvency; infringement of accountancy obligation; and embezzlement.   

By creditors of transport company Autorollo, an about €580,000 of damage was claimed in civil court from family Pentus-Rosimannus and the lawyer Siim Roode. Väino Pentus was spared claim for damages, having filed for personal bankruptcy.

Of the claim, Harju County Court on Friday satisfied €255,710. Environment minister Ms Pentus-Rosimannus was spared any payment, with the court detecting no involvement on her part in management decisions of the company.

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