Trial of top ministry official begins in berry firm bribery case

The trial of a top ministry official has begun at the Helsinki District Court on Monday on charge of taking bribe and abusing public office between 2018 and 2022.

Olli Sorainen, Senior Ministerial Adviser of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is accused of receiving two violins from the Chief Executive Officer of a berry firm as bribe, local media reported.

Jukka Kristo, the former Chief Executive Officer of the berry firm Polarica Marjanhankinta Oy and Polarica Ab paid a total of 7,500 euros for the violins and a bow taken by the top ministry official.

The Prosecutor, Mari Mattila sought a suspended prison sentence for Sorainen.

Sorainen, however, denied the allegation of taking bribe.

Earlier, in October 2022, the Helsinki District Court remanded Sorainen into custody for his alleged involvement in an incident of suspected human trafficking of Thai berry pickers working in Finland in 2020–2022.