City of Pärnu paid €11,000 severance package to official under investigation
Controversy has broken in the southwestern city of Pärnu after revelations that a city official has received the maximum redundancy payoff the law allows, despite being under investigation for suspected misdemeanors.
At the start of September, it was made public that a Pärnu city official had been suspected of violating procedural restrictions.
A criminal investigation was duly launched against the official, and the Internal Security Service (ISS) conducted a search of the suspect's office.
According to information ERR has received, the official in question was Andrus Haugas, former head of the city's culture and sports department.
Regional daily Pärnu Postimees reported that just a few months later, on December 12, Haugas' employment was terminated via redundancy, but he received nearly €11,000 in severance pay from the city.
Pärnu Mayor Romek Kosenkranius explained that the situation arose as the relevant legislation, the Public Service Act, does not permit an official who has not been convicted of anything to be dismissed.
He also stated that the lay-off and the criminal investigation into Haugas were unrelated things, clarifying that Haugas was laid off because he did not agree with changes to his job description.
Since the work still needed to be done, the city government reviewed the job description to find a replacement, while the official was suspended.
According to the Public Service Act, Haugas was entitled to notice pay and one month's salary in the event of redundancy.
However, the chair of the Pärnu City Council audit committee, Siimo Lopsik, criticized this practice, questioning whether there was a practical need to amend the job description in the way it had been.
Lopsik also raised concerns about a pattern he said he had identified within Pärnu's government, whereby officials or employees being removed get paid the highest possible compensation, even while under investigation.
Lopsik said that the audit committee had not received clear answers from the city government on this practice and was considering further action.
"There will likely be increased oversight and more effective auditing in the current situation," Lopsik added, noting that the audit committee had been investigating a similar case involving the redundancy of the city secretary for a year.
The Prosecutor's Office declined to comment on the ongoing criminal investigation.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
Source: 'Aktuaalne kaamera,' reporter Kristi Raidla.
