Three of the most senior names in Finnish policing are facing charges for not keeping tighter control on how the former head of the Helsinki’s drugs squad ran his confidential informants.
Prosecutor General Raija Toiviainen has charged Helsinki Police Chief Lasse Aapio, former National Police Commissioner Mikko Paatero, and former commander Jukka Riikonen with failing to have adequate oversight of informants for Jari Aarnio.
Aarnio is currently serving a 13 year prison sentence for corruption and drugs offenses. He was once the head of Helsinki’s drugs squad, famed for getting results in the war against drugs in the capital. Aarnio has already admitted destroying the details of some informants, which are supposed to be carefully registered in official logs.
Prosecutors say the three senior officers knew that Aarnio was playing fast and loose with the rules on informants, and turned a blind eye to his activities over a four year period. They deny any wrongdoing.
Police Response
Finland’s current National Police Commissioner Seppo Kolehmainen says the whole situation has been thoroughly investigated by officers.
He says that the procedures about how to handle confidential informants have been updated, and the new guidance leaves no room for interpretation.
