A businessman at the heart of a corruption scandal which in January brought down Jüri Ratas (Center) as prime minister is to be released from custody, where he has been held since shortly after Ratas resignation.
Hillar Teder, a property and retail magnate, was one of five suspects in an investigation into suspected influence peddling and bribery centered on the Porto Franco real estate development in central Tallinn.
Another suspect, former finance ministry adviser Kersti Kracht, was freed from custody last month, while the Center Party itself is also a suspect.
Teder s release follows a recent second-tier circuit court ruling, which the prosecutor s office has not challenged. He will be freed by Thursday latest.
Ärimees Hillar Teder pääseb vahi alt vabadusse
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Prokuratuur ei vaidlusta Hillar Tederi vabastamist
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Tuhanded tõendid võivad kriminaalasjadest kaduda
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Justice minister Maris Lauri (Reform) has rejected a bill from the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDE), which would give more powers to the political parties financing watchdog, and aims to make party finances more transparent, saying that her ministry is developing its own bill this year. Strengthening the supervision of party funding is one of the priorities for the government, Lauri said, noting that January s coalition agreement between Reofrm and Center detailed this, making SDE s bill redundant.
The watchdog, the Political Party Funding Supervision Committee (ERJK), has been used as a battleground by political parties in recent months, not least when the Center Party tabled a bill to remove the body altogether, and place its functions under the remit of the National Audit Office (Riigikontroll).