Slovenian govt. preparing lawsuit

The Slovenian government is to launch legal proceedings against a Finnish television station regarding the Patria scandal. The government announced that it would be suing the Finnish state television station and its journalist Magnus Berglund, who directly accused Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa of accepting a bribe of several million euros as commission for putting together an agreement for the sale of armored vehicles between the Slovenian military and a Finnish company, Patria. Slovenian govt. preparing lawsuit The government has already sent a letter to the station, stating that the story was not backed up by any documentation. Berglund said in his show that he would not publish the documentation in order to protect his sources, and later told Slovenian media that he would not release the information until the police had submitted the Patria case to the prosecution in Finland and criminal proceedings had been launched. By suing, Slovenia wants to “preserve the institutions’ reputation and the prime minister’s good name.” At the same time, the television station has stated that it has not received any new information to disprove their claims. Therefore, the station has no intention of apologizing to Slovenia. Berglund is also receiving support from the producer of the channel’s news program, who confirmed that they planned to protect their sources. Apart from the Slovenian government, no one else has called for any legal proceeding to be brought, including the Finnish police, government and the Patria company itself. It is interesting to note that Slovenian criminalists met yesterday to hold talks with the Finnish journalist’s Slovenian colleagues, who participated in the show and are not accused of corruption—opposition party MP Milan Cviklo, the director of Slovenian company Sistemska Tehbika that did not get the job for the armored vehicles, and the director of the anti-corruption police, Drago Kos. The television show has caused uproar and tremendous interest in both countries, with 32 percent of people in Finland tuning in, which according to Slovenian television station POP TV, is about 480,000 people.

Slovenian govt. preparing lawsuit

The government has already sent a letter to the station, stating that the story was not backed up by any documentation.

Berglund said in his show that he would not publish the documentation in order to protect his sources, and later told Slovenian media that he would not release the information until the police had submitted the Patria case to the prosecution in Finland and criminal proceedings had been launched.

By suing, Slovenia wants to “preserve the institutions’ reputation and the prime minister’s good name.”

At the same time, the television station has stated that it has not received any new information to disprove their claims.

Therefore, the station has no intention of apologizing to Slovenia.

Berglund is also receiving support from the producer of the channel’s news program, who confirmed that they planned to protect their sources.

Apart from the Slovenian government, no one else has called for any legal proceeding to be brought, including the Finnish police, government and the Patria company itself.

It is interesting to note that Slovenian criminalists met yesterday to hold talks with the Finnish journalist’s Slovenian colleagues, who participated in the show and are not accused of corruption—opposition party MP Milan Cviklo, the director of Slovenian company Sistemska Tehbika that did not get the job for the armored vehicles, and the director of the anti-corruption police, Drago Kos.

The television show has caused uproar and tremendous interest in both countries, with 32 percent of people in Finland tuning in, which according to Slovenian television station POP TV, is about 480,000 people.