Olli Sorainen charged with bribery and public office crime in Helsinki District Court

Olli Sorainen, a senior advisor at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, is facing charges in the Helsinki District Court for accepting bribes and committing a public office crime. Jukka Kristo, the former CEO of Polarica Marjahankinta, has been charged with offering the bribe. Court documents, including interrogation reports and messages from the accused, went public as the trial commenced.

According to the preliminary investigation, Sorainen initiated the request for a bribe by asking Kristo for violins for his underage child through official channels. His first request was made on December 15, 2019, when he sent Kristo a draft of a rental agreement involving the instruments. Kristo agreed to purchase a violin and bow in January 2020, costing a total of €5,000.

In his police interrogation, Sorainen explained that he sought a better quality violin, valued at approximately €6,000-€7,000, not due to his own need but for the potential to use a superior instrument. Sorainen maintained that the agreement allowed for his child’s use of the violin but did not constitute a financial benefit.

Sorainen later requested a different violin on February 19, 2022, offering to sell the first one. The transaction involved a trade, with a new violin costing €2,400 after a €4,000 credit was applied.

However, the investigation revealed that the violins were never used in Polarica events, and there was no related marketing activity. The prosecution estimates the total value of the bribe to be €7,500.

Kristo stated he was cautious during discussions about potential corruption and denied offering any benefits to Sorainen. He expressed concern over how refusal to comply might affect his own situation. The investigation also uncovered that Sorainen may have influenced critical business decisions affecting Polarica, leading to significant advantages for the company.