Independence of the Prosecution
Session: 15th Estonian Parliament, third sitting, information briefing
Date: 2024-03-13 15:40
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 10
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 10m
AI Summaries: 10/10 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
At the Riigikogu session, the response of Minister of Justice Kalle Laanet to the interpellation by Riigikogu member Mart Maastik regarding the independence and effectiveness of the Prosecutor's Office was discussed. Maastik criticized the activities of the Prosecutor's Office, citing the slowness of the Kajar Lember saga and the Slava Ukraini case as examples, and referred to the power struggle between the Minister and Prosecutor General Andres Parmas, which had been covered in the press. Maastik asked the Minister for clarification on what constituted Parmas’s lost political trust and whether the Minister had interfered in the affairs of the Prosecutor's Office. Minister Laanet acknowledged the bottlenecks in the work of the Prosecutor's Office and the high expectations of the public, but denied interfering in procedural actions. He explained that the loss of political trust was linked to public and Riigikogu dissatisfaction and confirmed that he had offered Parmas the opportunity to run for Chairman of the Tallinn Circuit Court, as Parmas had previously expressed a desire to return to the judiciary. A supplementary question also addressed the alleged attempt by a third party, Erki Aavik, to influence Parmas, to which the Minister replied that he had no knowledge of the content of those meetings. In addition, Kert Kingo raised the issue of repeated violations by prosecutors that courts have established (including the submission of false data and the forgery of procedural documents). The Minister confirmed that these very problems have prompted the initiation of service supervision within the Prosecutor's Office to ensure the legality and expediency of its work and to achieve legal peace in society.
Decisions Made 1
No decisions were made
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Member of the Riigikogu Mart Maastik is asking Justice Minister Kalle Laanet about the independence of the Prosecutor's Office.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Maastik expressed concern over the power struggle occurring between the security structures, demanded a review of the Prosecutor's Office's work, and criticized Minister Kalle Laanet's interference, ultimately asking what this "political credit of trust" means, and whether it amounts to horse-trading.
Justiitsminister Kalle Laanet
AI Summary
Justice Minister Kalle Laanet confirms that he has not interfered in any procedural actions and that the independence of the Prosecutor's Office and the role of judicial review are respected. He emphasizes, however, that the Ministry of Justice is responsible for the legality, effectiveness, and expediency of the Prosecutor's Office’s work, and that political credibility and issues of pressure are under scrutiny, including the context of the Slava Ukraini donations and the discussion of the Andre Parmas case.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman thanked [the previous speaker] and invited Mart Maastik to ask a clarifying question.
Mart Maastik
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Mart Maastik asked Andres Parmas if the Minister of Justice had spoken to Erki Aavik and requested him, as an intermediary, to relay a sensitive message concerning a possible resignation.
Justiitsminister Kalle Laanet
AI Summary
He/She stated that he/she had not been present, did not know the specifics of their relationship with Andres Parmas, and that it is not his/her practice to document meetings involving third parties, meaning the question should be put to Erki Aavik.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman thanks the speaker, poses one additional question, and invites Kert Kingo to respond.
Kert Kingo
AI Summary
Kert Kingo emphasizes that independence does not mean immunity, and refers to court decisions from 2020–2023 where prosecutors presented false information, falsified documents, distorted evidence, and used illegal pressure, and asks whether the supervision department of the Prosecutor's Office has investigated these violations.
Justiitsminister Kalle Laanet
AI Summary
Minister of Justice Kalle Laanet stated that official oversight is necessary to review the legality and effectiveness of the Prosecutor's Office management, and the commission will conduct an audit covering a one-calendar-year period within one month to provide clarity to the public and restore confidence in the justice system.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar concluded the consideration of the seventh question and cannot open the eighth and ninth questions because the questioners, Anti Poolamets and Aleksei Jevgrafov, are not present in the chamber.