The trial of Olli Sorainen, a high-ranking official at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, began on Monday at Helsinki District Court. Sorainen is charged with bribery and abuse of public office between 2018 and 2022.
The prosecutor is seeking a suspended prison sentence for the Sorainen, who allegedly requested and received assistance from Jukka Kristo, the former CEO of the berry firm Polarica Marjanhankinta Oy and Polarica Ab, in purchasing two violins.
The prosecutor told the court that Sorainen emailed Kristo from his work account in 2019, requesting help to pay for a violin and bow for a younger family member. According to the prosecutor, the violin store initially issued an invoice worth 5,000 euros to the company but later corrected it to address Kristo, who paid the amount from his personal account.
Sorainen also reportedly received Kristo's assistance with the purchase of a second violin which was also given to a family member in Sorainen's household.
"The total value of the bribes was 7,500 euros," prosecutor Mari Mattila said in court.
Mattila also presented emails showing Sorainen seeking sponsorship for a young musician and suggesting a reciprocal agreement to avoid the act being seen as a bribe.
Influence on berry picker quotas
In May, media reports revealed that Sorainen had allegedly requested and received gifts from a berry industry operator, and this influenced his subsequent handling of issues related to that operator.
The prosecutor contended that under Kristo's leadership, Polarica Marjanhankinta Oy benefited from Sorainen's influence over the allocation of berry pickers.
Mattila explained that Sorainen was responsible for drafting legislation impacting the berry industry, and those offering bribes were active within this sector. She also asserted that the number of berry pickers was vital to Polarica’s operations.
Accused deny charges
Sorainen has previously denied committing any crimes and reiterated this denial through his lawyer in court on Monday.
The defence confirmed the violins were purchased but Sorainen denied accepting any bribes. His lawyer claimed Sorainen did not and could not have influenced the berry picker numbers.
The berry firm's former CEO Kristo also faces bribery charges in relation to the case. However, his lawyer argued this was a case of sponsorship of a musician, not bribery, and dismissed the prosecutor's claims as false.
The trial also includes charges against Polarica’s board chair, Mari Onkamo, for aiding in the alleged bribe. Onkamo had denied the accusations.
The trial is expected to last five days.
In a separate berry industry trial, Kristo faces charges in the Lapland District Court for 77 counts of aggravated human trafficking, with a minimum sentence of five years in prison. These charges involve the treatment of Thai berry pickers. Kristo also denies these allegations.
