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Poles accused of bribery in escalating Port of Tallinn scandal

Estonian authorities are investigating a bribery scandal linking Polish shipbuilders with the Port of Tallinn.

The Estonian Prosecutor General’s Office has filed allegationss against two managers of a Polish shipbuilding company as part of a corruption investigation relating to the state owned company Port of Tallinn.

“Two people in management positions with the Polish shipbuilding company have been declared suspects in bribe-giving on a large scale. At the end of October employees of a Polish law enforcement agency questioned the men as suspects at the request of the Estonian Prosecutor General’s Office, an official of the Estonian Internal Security Service was present during the conduct of procedural acts,” Public Prosecutor Laura Feldmanis told local media.

The Polish executives are alleged to have promised Port of Tallinn boardmember Allan Kiil more than EUR100m as a bribe, some of which had been sent by the time investigators started looking into the case. One of the accused is also suspected of money laundering. The bribes were in order to win a ferry contract.

Another seven people, all Estonian, are linked to the unfolding Port of Tallinn scandal, which first came to light in late August.

The Polish shipbuilding company that is building two ferries for the Estonian port company, Remontowa Shipbuilding, has stressed it is not connected to the bribery case.

 

Sam Chambers

Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.
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