AT LEAST one police officer is suspected of preparing an aggravated offence against the life or health of another in a pre-trial investigation revolving around a group of people with far-right sympathies, Heikki Stenius, the district prosecutor in charge of investigations linked to police crime, told STT on Monday.
“One and the most serious of the offences under investigation is preparation of an aggravated offence against the health or life of another,” he said.
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Stenius revealed that the police officer suspected of wrongdoing is not presently in detention, as the risk of offence is low due to measures taken during the pre-trial investigation. The offence, he underlined, is subject to change depending on the findings of the investigation.
“The designation is challenging, and it requires that several distinctive elements are met,” he explained.
The National Bureau of Investigation (KRP) has confirmed that people with far-right beliefs are suspected of preparation of an aggravated offence against the life or health of others, revealing that fewer than 10 people have been subjected to forcible measures as part of the investigation. Stenius is heading the investigation as any investigation into suspected wrongdoing by police must be led by a prosecutor.
Stenius told YLE that “at least one policeman” is targeted in the investigation but declined, for example, to shed light on the background of the officer.
Unconfirmed media reports suggest the officer served as a sergeant at Helsinki Police Department. A spokesperson for the police department has additionally confirmed that a sergeant has been suspended from duties since October 2020. Whether or not the suspended officer is connected to the offence under investigation remains unknown, however.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
