Court orders Vjatšeslav Leedo to begin prison term immediately

Tallinn Circuit Court has rejected Vjatšeslav Leedo’s request to postpone serving his prison sentence, meaning he must report to Tallinn Prison immediately, ERR reported Wednesday.

The court upheld a September 15 ruling by Pärnu County Court. Leedo’s lawyer, Elmer Muna, had appealed that ruling, which denied a delay and required Leedo to report to prison. Circuit Court spokeswoman Anneli Vilu said the lower court had acted lawfully and there was no legal basis to postpone the sentence.

The ruling may be challenged within 15 days.

In June, the Supreme Court’s decision made final the convictions of Leedo, Tõnis Rihvk and Lennart Viikmaa for causing the insolvency of Saaremaa Shipping Company. Rihvk and Leedo were sentenced to two years and six months in prison, suspended for a four-year probation period, while Viikmaa received a one-year-and-six-month sentence, suspended for three years. The Circuit Court had increased the penalties, requiring each defendant to serve two months in prison once the ruling became final.