Heldna confirmed to ERR that he will return to his position at the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) next Monday and will work in the crisis preparedness bureau, where he will be involved in organizing exercises.

At the time of his detention in 2023, he was the head of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board (MTA) customs department.

"Since two court instances have reached the same conclusion and acquitted Eerik Heldna, Elmar Vaher, and Aivar Alavere, we see no grounds to continue suspending his service," PPA spokesperson Leana Loide told ERR.

Heldna had been suspended from service since June 28, 2023, when the Prosecutor's Office charged him and several other senior police officials with a crime related to rotation practices. According to the prosecution, there had been fictitious rotations at the PPA with the aim of securing special police pensions for Heldna and others.

Since then, Heldna was paid 60 percent of his regular monthly salary. The exact amount spent on salary during his suspension has not yet been calculated, Loide said.

In May 2024, the Tallinn Circuit Court rejected the PPA's appeal and upheld the decision made by the Tallinn Administrative Court in June 2023, which annulled the order dismissing former senior official Eerik Heldna from police service.

Following the end of his rotation at the Tax and Customs Board, Heldna was supposed to take up a position at the police, but was instead dismissed. He was removed from the post because he lacked a security clearance required for the position he was to assume at the PPA. The Internal Security Service had previously revoked his clearance in connection with the criminal proceedings against him.

The court ordered the PPA to pay Heldna €1,836 to cover the costs of the appeal proceedings. Other potential procedural costs at the circuit court were to be borne by each party individually.

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