Commission seeks Pevkur’s and former officials’ messages on Datasel contracts

Estonia’s parliamentary anti-corruption committee says a Defence Ministry report failed to explain why the state signed contracts with arms company Datasel, and is seeking private messages from former officials and former minister Pevkur, ERR reported.

The ministry examined how the State Defence Investment Centre signed ammunition contracts worth 70 million euros with Datasel in 2024. The company is owned by Indian businessmen, and the deliveries intended for Ukraine failed.

The report found shortcomings in documenting procedures and checking the backgrounds of contractual partners. It did not find that documents had been concealed or deleted, and said document requirements had been met.

State Defence Investment Centre deputy director general Asko Kivinuk said the centre was updating its procurement rules, broadening the group authorised to make decisions and introducing background checks for exceptional procurements.

Defence Minister Martin Herem said protocols for exceptional procurements should be clearer and that some documents and events needed to be recorded more thoroughly.

Committee chair Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart said the committee wanted to establish how contacts with Datasel and ARCA Defence began, who directed the contracts and why risks were not reported. She said members would review ministry correspondence the following week and would ask the ministry to obtain private emails and messages from former employees and the former minister.

Defence Ministry Secretary General Kristjan Mäe said the ministry’s review focused on information formally registered in its document management systems. He said investigative authorities would have to establish what discussions took place outside the official decision-making process.