Financial advisor to ex-finance minister, Kersti Kracht, receives a suspended sentence by the court
In Latest Development, Kersti Kracht, Ex-Advisor to Former Estonian Minister, Hit with Partial Corruption Sentence
Kicking off the week, Kersti Kracht, a one-time advisor to a previous finance minister, received a six-month suspended prison sentence for corruption-related offenses, following a court ruling on Monday in Harju County, Estonia.
BackgroundCheck Us Out!
Mounting pressure and allegations led to a high-stakes corruption trial involving Kersti Kracht, Hillar Teder, Toomas Tamm, and Jüri Põld, launched by the Office of the Prosecutor General in the spring of 2022. Trial proceedings began a year later.
The Juicy Details
Kracht was pinned with demands for large-scale bribes from Toomas Tamm and attempts to solicit bribes from Hillar Teder. Teder allegedly offered a hefty bribe in exchange for advantageous decisions concerning the Porto Franco real estate development and KredEx crisis support measures.
The trio, including Kracht, Teder, and Põld, were implicated in money laundering schemes, with Põld also accused of aiding in large-scale bribery. Kracht was additionally charged with violating ethics due to a conflict of interest concerning her association with the law firm TGS Baltic while serving as an advisor to the finance minister, despite owing money to the firm.
Wrapping It Up
Fast-forward to March 2025, and the court found Kracht guilty solely of violating procedural restrictions. She was ordered to serve a six-month suspended prison sentence, with credit given for time served during pretrial detention, leaving four months and 26 days to be served conditionally. To evade incarceration, Kracht must abide by the law and refrain from committing another intentional crime during a one-year probation period.
The decision is open for appeal to the Tallinn Circuit Court within 30 days. All other charges against Kracht, as well as Teder, Tamm, and Põld, were dropped.
Kersti Kracht held the position of advisor to Martin Helme, a former Estonian Minister of Finance and a member of the Estonian Conservative People's Party (EKRE).
- Despite being an advisor to former Estonian Minister Martin Helme, Kersti Kracht was found guilty in a corruption trial and received a six-month suspended prison sentence in Harju County, Estonia, for violating procedural restrictions related to the case.
- The court ruling comes after mounting pressure and allegations involving Kersti Kracht, Hillar Teder, Toomas Tamm, and Jüri Põld, as well as claims of large-scale bribes, money laundering, and ethics violations.
- The court hearing revealed that Kersti Kracht was pinned with demands for bribes from Toomas Tamm and attempted to solicit bribes from Hillar Teder, while Teder allegedly offered a hefty bribe for favorable decisions in the Porto Franco real estate development and KredEx crisis support measures.
- The proceedings, launched by the Office of the Prosecutor General in the spring of 2022, encompassed general news, politics, and crime and justice in Estonia, garnering significant public interest.
