Centrist Mutli to appeal court's decision re electoral ad dispute

Photo: Mihkel Maripuu

Jaanus Mutli, former deputy mayor of the Estonian capital city Tallinn and member of the Center Party, is planning to appeal a ruling of the Tallinn Administrative Court in which it decided not to overturn a prescription of the political party financing supervision committee (ERJK) for Mutli to pay back to the Tallinn city government the sum he used for a local government ad.

Mutli told BNS that he is indeed planning to appeal the decision but is in no hurry to do so and will hand in the appeal after Midsummer holidays.

The Tallinn Administrative Court on June 11 did not satisfy the request of Mutli to have ERJK's decision overturned, spokespeople for the court said. The decision can be appealed in 30 days.

Last year the committee decided to order Center Party chairman Edgar Savisaar and party members Mutli and Arvo Sarapuu to pay back a total of 11,000 euros of local government money spent on an ad. So far Sarapuu has been the only one to comply with the precept, paying 3,667 euros into the municipal treasury.