Five suspected of bribery offense in Räpina Municipality
Police suspect four individuals of offering a member of the Räpina Municipality Council €37,000 in work for a vote.
The head of the corruption crimes bureau at the Central Criminal Police, Aivar Sepp, told Delfi that criminal proceedings have been launched because there is reason to suspect that a member of the Räpina Municipality Council may have been offered a bribe in exchange for voting in favor during a council session in January 2026, when the council decided whether to pay compensation to former senior municipal officials.
On Tuesday, police carried out the first procedural actions at the suspects' homes and workplaces, including in the municipality government building. During the operation, four people were charged with promising a bribe and one person with agreeing to accept it.
"According to preliminary information, the council member was promised €37,000 worth of maintenance work through a company wholly owned by the Räpina municipality government in exchange for supporting agenda items at the council meeting concerning compensation payments to former senior municipal officials. The majority of votes in favor made it possible for the draft resolutions to be adopted," Sepp said.
The suspects include both former and current council members.
The exact circumstances will be determined during the investigation, which is being led by the District Prosecutor's Office for Economic and Corruption Crimes.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski
Source: Delfi
