Energy dispute features punch in belly

Photo: Mihkel Maripuu

In the afternoon hours last Friday, an energy discussion at Tallinn University heated up to the point of getting physical.

While headed for the coffee break, fresh from taking the floor, Mati Makkar all of a sudden felt his stomach punched. 

«A definite blow was landed,» he says. Having only met the author of the hit once in his life, Mr Makkar still recognised the man. It was Peep Siitam, member of Eesti Energia council and head of energy and green economy development at Estonian Development Fund.

Ere the physical contact ensued while exiting the auditorium between the rows of benches, Mr Siitam and Mr Makkar – a law student at Tallinn University of Technology (TTÜ) and member of Lilleküla Society fighting for a better environment – had been exchanging some verbal kind of shots.

At the debate of Estonian energy development plan discussion, Mr Makkar – based on an expert opinion by TTÜ electroenergetics institute docent emeritus and technology candidate Rein Oidram – had presented the claim that due to the uneven operational rhythm of wind turbines the consumption of oil shale has gone up, seeing that boilers are constantly started and switched off; thereby, the proportionality of renewable energy fees asked of consumers is questionable, as CO₂ residue has increased.

Mr Makkar claims that after he had spoken, a word «idiot» was uttered in a back row, but he never paid attention.

Who’s idiot?

As the participants in the debate went to have their break, Mr Makkar’s ear caught words «you’re an idiot» from lips of Mr Siitam to which he said he asked that maybe that was true of the one saying.

Alongside of Mr Makkar, professor emeritus of Tallinn University of Technology Väino Rajangu was walking towards the coffee. According to the professor, he saw a dignified dark headed man who went before Mr Makkar suddenly hit the one behind. «In my opinion, he backhand-elbowed him mightily,» describes Prof. Rajangu. «I saw the thump. I said men calm down, that’s not good manners. [Mr Siitam] boastfully retorted, left me a very bad impression.»

Summarises Prof. Rajangu: «Well Mati Makkar got hit bad indeed.»

Opening up the run-up to the incident, Mr Siitam explains that the opinions presented by Mr  Makkar as representing Lilleküla Society have been discussed long ago and are also demagogical, ending up making him mad. «Which is not to justify getting mad at an event like this,» he admits.

Mr Siitam will not deny the public debate turned into a war of words, but claims he never used the word «idiot» on Mr Makkar. Reflecting on his words on Friday, Mr Siitam claims to have labelled as idiotic the opinion saying wind energy affects oil shale energy’s efficiency. According to Mr Siitam, it was altogether Mr Makkar who told him he was an idiot.

According to Mr Makkar, his vocabulary lacks personifying descriptions like that. 

According to professor emeritus Rajangu who saw and heard it all, the words flung at one another by Mr Makkar and Mr Siitam merged into a situation where it is hard afterwards to reconstruct what exactly was said by whom and to whom, and to what degree.

«As it was word against word,» Mr Siitam says to describe the events after the words had been exchanged, «then to make my words hit home I forcefully leaned my shoulder against the shoulder of the other man and said don’t you ever call me an idiot again. That was my message to Mati Makkar.»

Work for police

Mr Makkar, however, says he was punched by Mr Siitam, after having thrice called idiot by the latter, a punch into the stomach area below the ribs, the hitter’s hand clenched in a fist. «It looked like [Mr Siitam] punches the bellies of those who publicly disagree,» he says. «Having the right to disagree, I naturally express it, but to get hit because of that – I never considered the option.»

Mr Makkar says an incident like this, characteristic of Friday nights at restaurants and pubs, is not befitting a public law discussion where a participant is council member of a state-owned public limited company.

Mr Siitam in his turn notes that if a guest at a party organised by others makes the others inconvenient, this is reason to deal with him.

As claimed by Mr Makkar yesterday, three days after the incident, the place of the punch hurts when touched by hand.

«A punch as such never happened,» claims Mr Siitam. «A nudge of the shoulder – yes! To drive the message home: man, you’re not calling me an idiot.» That same Friday night, Mr Makkar electronically notified the police.

As acknowledged by Mr Siitam, the incident where emotions were thus unleashed is greatly to be regretted. He adds that he sent Mr Makkar an e-mail in which he apologised for the conversation thus getting out of hand. «Naturally, there’s no justification driving a message home by shoulder like that,» he says, «but that was reaction to personal insult. I’m very embarrassed because of it.»

Eesti Energia press rep refused to comment the incident related to Mr Siitam as Eesti Energia never comments on private life incidents by council members.

Chairman of Development Fund council Ville Jehe declined to comment claiming he had too little information on the alleged incident.

Mr Siitam expresses hopes that the Estonian energy economy development plan discussions will, despite all of that, still proceed in a manner open and mutually respectful.