The fraud trial against Helsinki's former narcotics police chief Jari Aarnio and eight other individuals begins in the Helsinki District Court on 16 December.
At this preliminary stage in the proceedings, the accused are not required to appear at court. Yet Aarnio has said that he will make an appearance.
A similar promise was expressed by a 54 year old man from Espoo, also among the main people accused. He knows police chief Aarnio personally. The man has sat in prison for years on drug related offences. He is, according to rumours, also the chief of the United Brotherhood gang.
In the preliminary trials, police chief Aarnio will respond to charges of aggravated abuse of public office, aggravated fraud, aggravated bribe taking, and registry entry crimes.
All the accusations are associated with Trevoc Oy, a tracking device manufacturer in Vantaa. According to the Deputy Prosecutor General, Aarnio had, with the help of a dummy company, financed Trevoc Oy. He is also accused of using his position to manipulate the firms' sales to authorities: to customs, the Helsinki police, the Security Police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The gains from trade were worth approximately 1.2 million euros, according to the prosecutor.
ILTALEHTI 15 December. PETRI ELONHEIMO
