Top court to hear prosecution's challenge in police chiefs' case
The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear the prosecutor's appeal in the criminal case against Eerik Heldna, Elmar Vaher and Aivar Alavere.
In July, the Prosecutor's Office appealed to the Supreme Court in the rotation case of former senior police officials Eerik Heldna, Elmar Vaher and Aivar Alavere, arguing that several key pieces of evidence had been overlooked. The Office of the Prosecutor General said it continues to maintain that the creation of fictitious work experience described in the indictment was unlawful and used to obtain a special pension from the state.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court announced it would hear the prosecutor's appeal. A hearing date has not yet been set.
Heldna, Vaher and Alavere were acquitted by Harju District Court and the Tallinn Circuit Court upheld the decision.
According to the charges, in February 2019 Heldna and Vaher agreed that Heldna would be formally appointed to the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) and then immediately seconded back to the Defense Forces Intelligence Center, where he was already working and where his employment had never been interrupted.
Under the law, eligibility for a special pension required at least 25 years of service in the PPA and active police service as of Jan. 1, 2020. Heldna had served in the police from 1996 to 2017, or about 21 years. Therefore, to qualify for the pension, he would have needed to return to the police before Jan. 1, 2020 and serve for roughly four more years.
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Marcus Turovski
