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Estonian Ex-Minister Convicted of Fraud in Family Rent Scheme
Former Estonian minister Kalle Laanet received a suspended prison sentence for illegally claiming over €13,000 in housing reimbursements for an apartment leased from a company owned by his wife's son.
- —Former Estonian Minister and MP Kalle Laanet has been found guilty of fraud by the Harju District Court and sentenced to a suspended one year and four months in prison.
- —Laanet knowingly applied for rent reimbursement from the Ministry of Justice and the Chancellery of the Riigikogu for a lease with a company owned by his wife's son in 2022 and 2023.
- —The court ruled that a stepchild counts as a related party, meaning Laanet should not have rented the apartment from him, leading to over €13,000 in illegitimate housing reimbursements.
- —Laanet's parliamentary immunity was stripped in May of the previous year, at which time he maintained he had disclosed all leases and did not intend to claim funds he was not entitled to.
Recap
The conviction of a former minister who helped draft anti-corruption laws reveals a clear vulnerability in Estonia's political accountability framework. The court's ruling solidifies the legal definition of a 'related party' to include stepchildren, setting a precedent for future conflict-of-interest cases. While the financial penalties are significant, the suspended sentence suggests a continued institutional reluctance to impose the harshest consequences on political elites, even when fraud is proven.
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7Калле Лаанета признали виновным в мошенничествеFeb 9, 13:47