Tartu Official Acquitted as Court Voids Unlawfully Seized Email Evidence
The Tartu Court of Appeal has upheld the acquittal of former Deputy Mayor Priit Humal and businessman Parvel Pruunsild on corruption charges related to a property auction, while simultaneously ruling that security services unlawfully accessed Humal's emails, setting a precedent for digital privacy.
- —The Tartu Court of Appeal upheld the acquittal of Tartu Deputy Mayor Priit Humal and businessman Parvel Pruunsild in a corruption case, agreeing with the lower court's findings.
- —The appellate court modified the district court's decision regarding the admissibility of one piece of evidence, deeming it impermissible due to privacy concerns related to accessing Humal's emails.
- —The original charges alleged that Pruunsild pressured Humal to make decisions favoring Pruunsild's affiliated corporation, Sakala, in the acquisition of a former Estonian National Museum building.
- —Humal was accused of violating the prohibition of action as a public official, and Pruunsild of aiding and abetting this violation, stemming from events related to the building's auction in 2023.
- —Both the prosecution and the defense had appealed the district court's initial acquittal, leading to the appellate court's review.
Recap
The acquittal of Humal and Pruunsild formally closes a corruption probe, but the underlying legal precedent is more significant. The court's decision to exclude email evidence obtained without proper legal authority curtails the investigative powers of Estonia's security services. This ruling on digital privacy rights will likely shape the protocols for future white-collar and political crime investigations, forcing a higher standard for accessing private communications.