Pekka Toveri received 109,999 euros from the family of the gravel emperor convicted of bribing a politician – This is what the law says – 2024-08-13 17:56:13

Tuusulai, also known as the Sorkeisar Juhani Sjöblom and his family supported Tuusula Pekka Toveria (kok) for 109,999 euros in the June European elections.

According to Comrade’s election funding announcement, Juhani, Karl and Blacksmith Sjöblom donated the maximum amount to Tover – 10,000 euros.

In addition, the Sjöblom family donated 79,999 euros to Tover through five companies and three real estate limited companies.

Sulan Tekijät Oy, Seepsula Oy, Finsora Oy, Vantaan Automaatio Oy, Tuomox Oy, Kiinteistö Oy Sulan Portti and Palkkila KKOY all donated the maximum amount of 10,000 euros.

Kiinteistö Oy Fira donated 9,999 euros for one reason or another, so the total pot from the family was less than 100,000 euros.

In addition to Sjöblomi, Toveri received 10,000 euros from Elg-yhtiöt Oy and 5,000 euros from First Fellow Oy. First Fellow is owned by the founder of F-Secure and the former chairman of the board of Nokia Risto Siilasmaa.

According to the announcement, Toveri’s European election funding was 210,000 euros. So more than half of this amount came from the Sjöblom family.

Toveri spent zero euros of his own money for the elections. Toveri received 88,712 votes in the elections and passed with flying colours.

The law allows circumvention of the upper limit

Chief auditor of the State Audit Office (VTV). Pontus London says that the current law enables support to be channeled in the way seen now.

– The law is based on the fact that private individuals and companies are separate legal entities.

According to Londen, this also applies to so-called business groups, whose background is influenced by the same people.

– Let’s say that parent company A has ten subsidiaries. Each (of them) is a separate legal entity and each can support a candidate with the maximum amount.

In the background, there is a recent criminal conviction for bribery

In the spring of 2023, the Helsinki Court of Appeal convicted Juhani Sjöblom of bribery I met Mäkinen (cook) lahjusjupakassa.

Sjöblom appealed the Court of Appeal’s decision to the Supreme Court (KKO), but it did not take up the bribery case.

Thus, the judgment given by the Court of Appeal regarding the giving of a bribe remained in force.

The bribery conviction was related to a land deal, in the processing of which Mäkinen participated as chairman of the Vantaa City Council after receiving a 20,000-euro loan from Sjöblom and his brother before that.

Juhani Sjöblom, 74, served as a Member of Parliament for the coalition between 1997 and 2007. His daughter Ruut Sjöblom served as a member of parliament for the coalition in 2019–2023.

Comrade: “I’m grateful for the support”

Pekka Toveri commented to Iltalehte that the total amount of Sjöblomi’s support was only found out afterwards.

– To tell the truth, I didn’t even see the entire donation amount until the campaign manager and I started twisting the election announcement. I didn’t know the amount of his donation, Toveri says.

The Sjöbloms also supported Tover in the 2023 parliamentary elections with at least a good ten tons. At that time, Juhani and Karl Sjlöblom were the only private individuals who gave support exceeding the declaration limit with Tover’s election money declaration.

– We have only been in contact a few times, when we have talked with Sjöblom as Tuusula residents about the development of the Tuusula area, when I was in the parliament. That is, projects like Ring IV, which would be important in terms of traffic for other than Tuusula – mainly for Uusimaa as well. I have no other connection to him, Toveri says.

Is it appropriate to accept such a large donation from one businessman, especially from a businessman who has recently been convicted in the Court of Appeal for bribing a politician in the Tapani Mäkinen case?

– Well, to be honest, it’s the first time I’m hearing the whole thing. I haven’t followed.

Juhani Sjöblom was convicted in the court of appeals for giving a bribe, when he had given money to Tapani Mäkinen and, according to the court of appeals, actually used it for development projects in the Tuusula region.

– Maybe it is better to ask them why they have considered a person from our country worth supporting, especially in the EU elections, where Tuusula’s affairs are not taken care of. I am in no way connected to their business other than that I have mainly tried to support that Ring 4, because it is a project that would be important for the economy of Central Uusimaa.

– I don’t have a single penny attached to his companies or other businesses. So why have people come to support us, of course I’m grateful that support has come, because that money has been spent in the election campaign.

Hasn’t he opened up about why he wants to support you with such a large amount?

– Once, a couple of us have met when we were walking around Tuusula, and talked about different things. We have stated that we have many of the same views on the development of the economy and the development of the EU, but we have had no further discussion on the matter.

Correction 8/13/2024 at 8:39 p.m.: The total amount of the Sjöblom family’s donations is 109,999 euros, not 99,999 euros, as was initially reported in the story.