Former RKIK chief says Pevkur introduced Datasel intermediary

Former State Defence Investment Centre director Magnus-Valdemar Saar told ERR that his contact with Datasel came through Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur. Pevkur and the person Saar identified as the intermediary deny the claim.

Saar contacted journalists on Wednesday, a day after ERR reported that defence officials involved in Estonia’s dealings with Datasel, an ammunition company owned by Indian businessmen, had declined to comment.

“I am responsible for every signature I gave and proud that I was able to help Ukraine and Estonia,” Saar said at a meeting with journalists.

Saar led the State Defence Investment Centre from 2021 until the summer of 2024, including during the period when Estonia spearheaded the “Million Shells for Ukraine” initiative. He said the centre supplied Ukraine with ammunition worth nearly 500 million euros during the crisis.

Saar said he worked for a democratic government and followed the instructions of the defence minister, who was informed about the transactions and accepted the risks that had been outlined to him.

According to Saar, the centre had the authority and funding to conduct the transactions, while the leadership of the Defence Ministry was kept informed of the details. “The transaction was not entered into lightly,” he said.

Saar outlines procurement process

Saar said offers and contacts came through three channels: RKIK’s contractual partners, the leadership of the Defence Ministry or Ukraine.

RKIK recorded all offers in a table, noting delivery times, potential problems, export-control conditions and other details. Officials then examined export controls, logistics, the condition of the goods, risks and other circumstances.

Inspections were carried out during this process and reports were prepared, Saar said. Once sufficient information had been gathered, a decision was made at a ministerial decision-making meeting, which he said was documented in minutes.

After the decision to proceed, the parties negotiated the contract terms and signed an agreement, followed by financial entries. Before the goods were handed over, a quality check was conducted, usually visually, to verify the goods and quantities. A handover certificate was then prepared.

Saar said the process was followed in every transaction and that all important procurement documents had been stored according to the rules. He said the current dispute over the documents concerned accompanying materials, such as inspection reports, which he believed were also stored in RKIK’s files.

Only a relatively small number of offers resulted in contracts, Saar said. Most were rejected because of export-control conditions, quality, logistical challenges or other circumstances that made delivery unlikely.

Saar says Pevkur made the introduction

“The person who mediated Datasel was introduced to the RKIK director by Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur. Information exchanged through electronic channels exists in a reproducible form,” Saar said.

At the meeting, Saar showed messages with the alleged intermediary, who used the name “Eric M” in the conversation.

Saar said many other offers came through the defence minister before and after the contact with Datasel. He said he had extracts of the electronic conversations, while further records should also exist in emails to which he no longer has access.

He also claimed that the defence minister was familiar with the procurements in detail.