Party secretary general Andres Metsoja said the party's finances are in order. "All our financial matters are handled according to legal requirements and transparently," he said.

He added that the party wants clarity on the matter and will provide more details after reviewing the formal notice of the suspicion.

Prosecutor General Taavi Pern told ERR that authorities plan to move forward with the investigation involving Isamaa next week.

"We can confirm that the Central Criminal Police plans to carry out investigative procedures next week, including questioning individuals as suspects in a criminal case examining whether Isamaa received illegal donations," Pern said.

"At this time, no one has been formally charged," he continued. As a result, prosecutors cannot disclose further at this stage because the investigation is ongoing and key questions remain open.

"Questioning a suspect gives them the opportunity to provide their own explanation of events," Pern said.

Metsoja declined to say whether the alleged illegal donation under investigation could be linked to party member Parvel Pruunsild, who has previously donated nearly €2 million to Isamaa. 

Pruunsild declined to comment on camera, but indicated the matter was likely related to a 2021 donation to the nonprofit Isamaalised. He said the contribution aimed to support Isamaa-aligned forces amid an internal party dispute that year which led to the rise of the nascent Parempoolsed party.

Former party leader Helir Valdor Seeder and MP Priit Sibul have already provided statements to investigators.

Sibul said he could not comment on the authorities' findings yet. "We will know more Tuesday, once the party receives the alleged suspicion notice," he said.

Reinsalu: We're taking this seriously

Isamaa chair Urmas Reinsalu posted on social media Friday that the party is taking the matter seriously and will cooperate fully with authorities.

"We want full clarity in this case," he said, adding that the party is still in the dark on the specifics of the suspicion and will inform the public once it is officially received.

"Isamaa is a leading political force in the country, and any suspicion must be completely clear to voters and the public," Reinsalu noted. "People have the right to know exactly what the alleged issue is."

He also emphasized that Isamaa has always complied with transparency and donation rules and criticized recent interpretations of party financing regulations as overly convoluted.

"We're taking this seriously, will cooperate professionally with authorities, be diligent and keep the public informed to ensure our core political work is not affected by this case," Reinsalu said.

News first emerged in April that, according to Delfi, a criminal investigation involving the Isamaa party had been underway for some time.

The Central Criminal Police are reportedly looking into possible illegal funding, though the Prosecutor's Office has not confirmed who or what is the target of the investigation.

In mid-July, Prosecutor General General Taavi Pern joined the case. He did not confirm the investigation is specifically linked to Isamaa, but told Delfi (link in Estonian) that the case would reach the formal suspicions stage before winter.

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