Helsinki Times
Friday, January 24, 2014
Esko Saastamoinen. Reference: local media, Karjalainen’s report.
Investigative officers have concluded their pre-trial investigation into a controversial comment by a Finns Party member of the Lieksa town council and referred the case to the Prosecutor’s Office of Eastern Finland for consideration of charges. The police suspect the counsellor, Esko Saastamoinen, of ethnic agitation, discrimination and defamation.
Last autumn, Saastamoinen demanded that the local Finns Party organisation be provided “a clean meeting place”, because the current one is also used by a Somali group. The seven members of the Somali group have all filed a complaint of ethnic agitation against Saastamoinen.
The police determined in the pre-trial investigation that the current facilities have no hygiene or other problems that would prevent their use. Saastamoinen was dismissed as the chair of the local Finns Party organisation in November, but continues to deny all allegations of wrongdoings.
HS