Estonian court opens embezzlement trial of Johanna-Maria Lehtme

Harju County Court on Monday opened the trial of Johanna-Maria Lehtme, the former head of the NGO Slava Ukraini, who is accused of embezzlement, ERR reports. Lehtme, who lives in Ukraine, is participating in the proceedings by video link.

The State Prosecutor’s Office launched criminal proceedings concerning Lehtme in May 2023. After a two-year international investigation, Estonia’s Central Criminal Police, working with Ukrainian colleagues, compiled an extensive case file. The indictment based on the file was sent to Harju County Court for trial in August 2025.

Prosecutors accuse Lehtme, one of Slava Ukraini’s founders and its former head, of abusing the NGO’s trust and embezzling a large amount of donated money.

According to the prosecution, transactions with companies belonging to Lehtme’s Ukrainian associate Hennadi Vaskiv caused more than 450,000 euros in damage. Embezzlement carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, while fraud carries a maximum sentence of four years.

The court made an exception allowing Lehtme to attend the hearings by video. Her lawyer, Dmitri Teplõhh, said Lehtme has lived in Ukraine since 2023 and that all her important personal, family and social ties are connected to the country.

The lawyer’s main reason for requesting the exception was that Lehtme is raising two children. One is of school age and the other is under one year old.