Land exchange court saga finds final solution

Photo: Peeter Langovits/Postimees

Yesterday, the accused in land-exchange court case were declared guilty by Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court not in giving and accepting bribes but in giving and accepting gratuities, the punishments imposed by Circuit Court remaining unaltered. As an exception, criminal case was closed regarding Einar Vettus, due to lapse of reasonable time for performing the procedure.

Also, Supreme Court considered it established that Villu Reiljan, Kalev Kangur and Ester Tuiksoo accepted assets for misuse of their official position or agreed to accept is in time to come. To them, assets were given or promised by Tullio Liblik and Tarmo Pedjasaar, as well as Toomas Annus acting in the interests of public limited companies Merko Ehitus (now Järvevana) and E.L.L. Kinnisvara.

By Supreme Court decision, former environment minister Mr Reiljan’s final punishment will be conditional imprisonment for three years and six months with four-year probation. Former Land Board head Mr Kangur is punished by four years three months and 11 days with probation period of five years.

According to court ruling, the punishment of Merko Ehitus major shareholder Mr Annus will be conditional imprisonment of two years and six months, Mr Pedjasaar sentenced for two years, four months and 23 days of conditional imprisonment with three-year probation. To Mr Liblik, the court gave two years, five months 27 days of imprisonment with three years as probation. Ms Tuiksoo’s punishment stands at three months of imprisonment with probation period of three years.

Guilty as legal persons, AS Merko Ehitus and AS E.L.L. Kinnisvara were fined €798,000 and €127,823, respectively. By Mr Annus, construction activities were separated from the company that was sued; therefore, the convicted AS Merko Ehitus currently bears the name AS Järvevana.

Mr Reiljan’s defendant Aivar Pilv yesterday considered it likely for some of the convicted ones to have recourse to the European Court of Human Rights.

Being convicted, Riigikogu member Ester Tuiksoo now needs to exit both parliament and Centre Party. In the Riigikogu, she may be replaced by party comrade Siret Kotka.

Pursuant to Constitution and Status of Riigikogu Member Act, powers of parliament members are prematurely terminated at entry into force of judgment of conviction. From Centre Party, Ms Tuiksoo needs to exit as prescribed by Statutes thereof regarding criminal conviction.