Investigation into Helsinki Embassy Information Leak Suspended
The Helsinki police have officially suspended a preliminary investigation into a suspected leak of confidential information concerning the Finnish Embassy in Lisbon, Portugal. This inquiry originated from allegations of workplace harassment at the diplomatic mission.
Last summer, Titta Maja-Luoto, the head of the embassy at that time, received a written warning regarding inappropriate conduct and harassment after several staff members lodged a formal complaint. Following this, she was removed from her position.
The investigation into the information leak aimed to ascertain whether sensitive details had been improperly shared with the media, potentially compromising legal protections for both the complainant and the individual involved in the harassment case. Police conducted interviews with relevant parties and undertook an IT investigation as part of their efforts to uncover the truth.
Juha-Matti Suominen, the chief investigator, informed the news agency STT that the inquiry was suspended due to an inability to determine who had perpetrated the alleged acts. Earlier this month, the newspaper Ilta-Sanomat revealed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had requested the police to investigate the potential data leak. Ari Uusikartano, the ministry’s chief of IT management, confirmed via email to Yle that this request had been made in late autumn, driven by suspicions of information being passed to the media in violation of regulations.
Similar Probe in Ottawa Also Halted
In a related development, police have also halted a preliminary investigation into a suspected information leak at the Finnish Embassy in Ottawa, Canada. Approximately two years ago, the Foreign Affairs Ministry submitted a criminal report regarding an alleged illegal disclosure of information to the media. This case involved accusations of harassment against former Ambassador Jari Vilén by a group of embassy staff.
Detective Inspector Juha-Matti Suominen stated to commercial broadcaster MTV that the inquiry in Ottawa was suspended due to a lack of clarity on who was responsible for the leaked information.
