Estonian PM: Pevkur to decide himself on possible resignation after government meeting
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said that Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur can independently decide whether to assume political responsibility and whether to resign over questionable defense contracts. According to the head of government, he currently sees no personal fault on Pevkur’s part, but this does not rule out political responsibility, ERR News reports.
Government meeting on Thursday
Pevkur is to attend a government meeting on Thursday, after which decisions will be made. Michal convened the government meeting to obtain explanations regarding inconsistencies in the defense sector’s accounting.
The state auditor, Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces Andrus Merilo, Director General of the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments RKIK Elmar Vaher, and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Kaimo Kuusk are also expected to take part in the meeting.
Questions for procurement leadership
Michal said that the main questions concern former RKIK employees and managers who concluded contracts and made payments. According to him, these actions may have created obligations for the state, but this was not reported. The prime minister added that those responsible for procurement must vet counterparties, and civil lawsuits are not ruled out in the event of knowingly providing false information or failing to fulfill duties.
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The head of government called unacceptable a situation in which goods were ordered that could not be transferred to Ukraine due to inadequate quality or because the goods were unavailable. He also criticized the decision to order additional goods even though previously ordered products, according to available information, had not yet arrived.
Recovery of €70 million
Answering a question about €70 million, Michal said that the new RKIK leadership’s primary task should be to recover the funds through the courts. He also wants to determine what guarantees the company or its parent structure provided regarding the fulfillment of obligations.
Separately, the prime minister raised the issue of the sudden departure from office of former RKIK Director General Magnus-Valdemar Saar. He noted that he had not contacted Saar and believes that communication with him should be handled by the bodies establishing the circumstances of the case, including the National Audit Office, the Prosecutor General’s Office, or the Ministry of Defence.
