Internal Security Service suspects police officer of bribery
The Internal Security Service (ISS/Kapo) suspects a Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) officer of accepting bribes.
The suspect is the group leader of the PPA's Southern Prefecture's criminal bureau.
The alleged bribes were given in return for leaked official data and surveillance information, including in connection with a drugs crime.
According to the suspicion, a 32-year-old PPA officer disclosed data collected during the pre-trial and surveillance proceedings of a criminal case, which resulted in suspects in a drug-related crime being able to evade criminal proceedings and to flee Estonia.
The ISS suspects the same officer may have accepted a bribe in exchange for the illegal disclosure of work-related information.
The suspicion related to the drug offense is based on preliminary information indicating that the officer knowingly supported a person suspected of drug crimes, both financially and in other ways, and in return received proceeds from that individual's activities in selling narcotic substances.
According to district prosecutor for economic and corruption crimes Gerd Raudsepp, the suspicions are serious, and so require a thorough and comprehensive investigation.
"The suspicion concerns the actions of a single police officer. In cooperation with the ISS and the Southern Prefecture, we are collecting the necessary evidence to determine whether and to what extent the officer abused their official position," Raudsepp said.
The suspicion is in its initial stages and may be subject to change during the course of the proceedings. The officer has been detained as a criminal suspect, while the ISS is carrying out procedural actions.
Rain Vosman, head of the criminal bureau at the PPA's Southern Prefecture, said the officer suspected of abuse of office was identified in the course of internal oversight within the authority, and that this information was then forwarded to the ISS. The suspect is off the force as a result of the suspicions, Vosman added.
"We acted immediately suspicion arose that there might be someone in the team working against us, within the police system. We made efforts to halt such activity, and continue cooperating with partners to determine the possible scope of the suspected officer's crimes. Trust is the foundation of police work. It has been severely violated, which means this individual cannot continue in the ranks of the police," Vosman said.
Pre-trial proceedings are being conducted by the ISS under the direction of the district prosecutor's office for economic and corruption crimes.
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Editor: Märten Hallismaa, Andrew Whyte
