Agreeing with Harju County Court's final conclusion, the second-tier Estonian court held that the prosecutor's objections were not legally justified and were partially unsupported by evidence.

Regarding Eerik Heldna's rotation and appointment at the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA), the circuit court found that the prosecution's view that it was merely a formality is unfounded. The court noted that it was not proven that Heldna was unwilling to return to the PPA, emphasizing that the first-tier district court had appropriately assessed all the evidence.

This March, Harju District Court acquitted former senior police officials Eerik Heldna, Elmar Vaher and Aivar Alavere of fraud charges related to rotation fraud.

The defendants were accused of organizing a sham rotation for Heldna within the PPA to inflate his years of police service and enable him to qualify for a so-called police pension in the future.

In its March ruling, the district court determined the rotation in question was lawful, findig its purpose may have been to enhance the official's competence and motivation. The court ruled that evidence did not establish that Heldna did not intend to work at the PPA in the future, nor that the official orders had been falsified.

The district court awarded legal costs in the amount of €14,178 to Aivar Alavere, €23,307 to Eerik Heldna and €19,839 to Elmar Vaher.

The court also awarded Heldna compensation for the net salary he missed due to his removal from the PPA and the suspension of his right to exercise public authority from May 8, 2023 through May 7, 2024, at a rate of 40 percent of his salary, amounting to €9,314.80.

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