The trial began Tuesday in the case of former Helsinki narcotics squad head Jari Aarnio, who faces a slew of 30 charges for various criminal offences. The first hearing looked at Aarnio’s shady dealings with a surveillance devices company. Prosecutors are calling for a four-and-a-half year prison sentence for offences ranging from fraud to bribery and abuse of office.
Prosecutors laid out their case Tuesday, noting that Finnish officials had acquired more than two million euros of surveillance equipment from a company known as Trevoc. The devices were used by organisations such as the Security Intelligence Service Supo, Finnish customs and the Foreign Ministry, as well as Helsinki police.
According to charge sheet Aarnio acted as an owner and representative of Trevoc, while at the same time procuring equipment from the company for the Helsinki police division to the tune of nearly 500,000 euros.
The prosecution said that the drug unit led by Aarnio was responsible for acquiring the technical equipment for Helsinki police and that Aarnio had a major say in procurement matters.
The prosecutor charged that a criminal czar connected to Aarnio was also behind Trevoc, and added that both had collaborated to secure financing for the company.
Criminal boss assisted Aarnio with bribery
The relationship between Aarnio and the underworld ran deep, according to prosecutors. The shady figure assisted Aarnio in bribery crimes, with the ex-drugs chief pocketing kickbacks from the chief executive of the surveillance devices company.
Prosecutors have called for a two-and-a-half year prison sentence for the criminal boss for aggravated fraud, for being an accessory to official misconduct and for aggravated bribery.
They have also called for Aarnio to forfeit to the state some 200,000 euros in ill-gotten gains from his involvement with Trevoc, while the company itself is being called upon to hand over more than two million euros.
Aarnio, they say, should serve four-and-a-half years of jail time for aggravated fraud, aggravated abuse of office, aggravated bribe-taking and official misconduct. Aarnio has consistently denied all of the charges brought against him.
Altogether nine accused are involved in the Trevoc case, including the company’s chief executive. All of the suspects face fines and jail time for their offences.
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