Rahumägi looking for chance to study the wreck of the Estonia

Jaanus Rahumägi. Photo: Mihkel Maripuu

Jaanus Rahumägi, a former politician and the owner of the private security company ESC Global Security, is seeking for an opportunity to get his firm involved in the study of the wreck of the ferry Estonia. Both the Estonia and the Swedish state allocate a total of six million euros for the investigation.

The general public knows you as a former parliament member and an entrepreneur whose security form is mainly engaged in protecting tankers against Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. Why are you planning to participate in the international tender for the study of the wreck of the Estonia to be carried out in February-March 2022?

Of course we shall take part in the tender, we are an Estonian company. It is not just a technical job; it is related to the honor and dignity of the state. It is a matter of tactfulness.

In other words, you consider it a matter of Estonia’s dignity and honor that a local company would carry out the work?

Yes, I do think so.

Why should they prefer you?

We have reached a stage over thirty years where the world’ largest industrial enterprises and their ships worth billions of dollars are protected against bombs and an Estonian enterprise has been trusted with this mission.

I think that the Estonian state should have similar confidence in its entrepreneurs. We provide services to the largest enterprises in the world which dredge ports and this sometimes involves the recovery of bombs used in the two world wars, which out experts will assess.

Further, during a major operation last year we identified 9000 ferromagnetic objects under water; more than one thousand of them turned out to be ammunition. Therefore our basic activity is underwater mine removal, bomb disposal, their storage and cooperation with local naval forces.

The study of the wreck of the Estonia is in principle somewhat less complicated since there are no explosive devices. On the other hand, it is an equally delicate operation. We have 100-percent capability to carry it out.

However, the concept we proposed to the Safety Investigation Bureau (the central body of the investigation) is not just about being an Estonian enterprise.

We would use different enterprises to carry out the procedures. This means that the enterprises of many countries – Canada, Scotland, Germany, Poland – would contribute their technologies and experts, while the information gathered by fragments would be concentrated in Estonia via various cannels.

The entire investigation process would be coordinated by an Estonian enterprise. This will ensure trust; the investigation must look like totally honest, clear, justified and open.

As a former politician you must have discussed this with the political circles, as well as Rene Arikas, who heads the investigation. They want to hold an international tender.

I have told them indeed that the Estonia n state could handle this and that we should study the wreck on out own. We are not afraid of the tender, it is mainly about its terms.

If you want to carry out the investigation of the wreck, we should clear up one matter. Namely, it is claimed that on September 27, 1994, when the Estonia was lost, your security company ESC escorted two trucks to the ferry, which allegedly carried a mysterious cargo and caused the delay of the ferry’s departure. Do you know what cargo that was?

This is a rumor and has nothing to do with the truth. Margus Leivo used to head a select committee of the parliament (the weapons transfer investigation committee 2005–2006) where I testified and no such question was ever asked. We had nothing to do with the protection of that cargo or any other issue. There were many rumors but they nave nothing to do with the company I managed. And there was no connection with the cargo which was allegedly loaded on the ferry. There is no evidence, no facts about it and there cannot be any.

You said during the sitting of the weapons transport committee that you were well informed of the weapons trade in Estonia and that all countries were involved besides Sweden. Is there something concerning the loss of the Estonia you have not talked about?

If there was anything, this would be the right place to say it, but there isn’t. These are the events were everyone remembers where they were that day and what they did he day before, Just like that I would remember if we had escorted anything to the ferry, I would know about it.

But were you informed at that time that weapons were smuggled aboard the Estonia?

Considering what was going on in the early 1990s when he Russian army was withdrawing [from Estonia] and a lot of weapons were traded, it cannot be ruled out that some weapons were carried aboard the Estonia, but whether it happened that day and how, I cannot say.

Do you think that the earlier Swedish investigation was fair?

No other shipwreck with so many lives lost has been like the loss of the Estonia was. Generally all the circumstances are established and the dead bodies are recovered. I would not judge the Swedish but if it had been dome according to the international regulations the first time we would not have to talk about it now.

Would the investigation of these holes be sufficient to learn the truth?

It is for the Safety Investigation Bureau to decide what they want to do. I can assure that the technology enables sending probes with cameras and lights into the ship without involving divers. This technology exists and we can use it.

What should we think about the fact that the preliminary investigation of the wreck in July will be carried out again with a Swedish vessel and Swedish specialists?

Well, this is for the Estonian state to decide. The financing of this business was confused for a long time. The money was sort of allocated but could not be used. That placed the Safety Investigation Bureau in a situation where it had no other option but to cooperate with the Finns and Swedes to go on. Because if the whole process had been delayed, who knows how long it would have taken – another year, maybe? Typical Estonian business.