Marketta Kokkonen, the Espoo city council manager, unveiling a budget last year.

Marketta Kokkonen, Espoo's retiring mayor, and Olavi Louko, the head of the council's technical and environmental services, were on Tuesday charged with bribery and misconduct over a total of 17 trips abroad and within Finland in 2004-8.

Jukka Haavisto, an East Uusimaa district prosecutor, charged Kokkonen with misconduct, with Louko facing misconduct and bribery charges.
Both have denied any wrongdoing.

The National Bureau of Investigation has probed Louko's travel between 2004 and 2008. He has gone on record as saying that he looked after the taxpayer's interests during the trips.

Haavisto was mum on the details of the charges and refused to comment when asked who organised the trips.

Kurt Byman, the Espoo councillor who reported the matter to the police, accused Louko of being too cosy with construction companies and of holiday travel at the taxpayer's expense.

STT
LEHTIKUVA - SARI GUSTAFSSON