Prosecutors expand suspicion against Isamaa party

Estonia’s Prosecutor’s Office has added to the suspicion against the Isamaa political party as its criminal case enters the final phase of pretrial proceedings, ERR reported.

Chief State Prosecutor Taavi Pern said defence lawyers were now reviewing the case materials and could submit requests within a month. After that, prosecutors will decide whether to file charges and send the case to court.

Under Estonian law, only private individuals may donate to political parties, and parties must report such donations to the Political Party Financing Supervision Committee.

According to the suspicion presented by the National Criminal Police, two legal entities provided Isamaa with services worth nearly 308,000 euros between 2020 and 2023, mainly advertising services, without charging the party.

The costs of those services were not included in the party’s financial reports, nor were the services declared to the committee as donations. Because some senior party members or representatives allegedly knew about the legal entities’ activities on behalf of Isamaa, accepted them and used the benefits in the party’s interests, Isamaa is suspected of accepting prohibited donations.

Pern said that the initial suspicion in the criminal case was presented to six people and three legal entities. The investigation into one suspect, Mart Maastik, was terminated after no possible offence was identified in his actions.