Tallinn hires land exchange judge and culprit

Photo: Mihkel Maripuu

Land exchange case judge Valeri Lõõnik (68) and culprit Ester Tuiksoo (49) have both entered Tallinn payroll, the former employed as legal adviser to Mayor Edgar Savisaar and the latter laying groundwork for Tallinn cooperative credit bank.

Mr Lõõnik is employed by Tallinn since October 1^st. Yesterday morning, the man said he’s broadly into city government legal issues; at noon, vice mayor Arvo Sarapuu specified the ex-judge is tasked with analysing activities of Mupo – the Municipal Police in Tallinn.

Mr Sarapuu said Ms Tuiksoo has been working at the foundation Cooperative Credit Agency for a couple of weeks now. The foundation has no facilities, so city governmental rooms are used. According to member of CCA council Ahti Kallaste, city government has also been host to their meetings with the board.

While during the land exchange process Judge Lõõnik was non-party and Ms Tuiksoo the accused a Centre Party cadre, the roles have by now reversed. This Monday, Centre Party embraced Mr Lõõnik; this summer, Ms Tuiksoo as convicted in court was forced to leave Riigikogu and Centre Party alike.

Though hiring of both was disclosed yesterday, Mr Lõõnik says it is mere coincidence they now happen to work in the same building. Yesterday, Mr Lõõnik said he has never met Ms Tuiksoo before or after the land exchange process, neither have they bumped into one another in Tallinn city government building.

According to Harju County Court chairman Helve Särgava, a retired judge is no different from any other pensioner. According to Ms Särgava, anybody has his constitutional right to pick a job.

While Ms Tuiksoo, conclusively convicted in accepting of gratuities, is banned by law from belonging to a party and the parliament, she’s still free to choose an employer. A court does retain the right to ban convicted persons from certain jobs for a certain period of time, but the land exchange judgement contains no such clause.

According to Mr Lõõnik, Tallinn vice mayor made the job offer to him in mid-September. A militia worker for decades and a police officer for some years after Estonia regained independence, the man is an old acquaintance of Mr Klandorf – the latter coming from the same background.

As assured by Mr Lõõnik, he was under no pressure to join Centre Party and the decision was by his own free will. The man did belong to Centre Party before becoming a judge, in 1996–1997. Should the party so propose, Mr Lõõnik stands ready to run at upcoming Riigikogu elections in March.

In June 2012, Mr Lõõnik ruled the land exchange counterparts not guilty. Tallinn Circuit Court, however, judged them guilty in June 2013 – as did the Supreme Court this past June.