NBI chief suspended, 8 cops face trial in Oct

The interior ministry has suspended National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Robin Lardot with immediate effect, reported the national broadcaster Yle on Monday.

Eight present and former top-ranking police officials including Lardot have been charged with negligence of duty in supervising the way the Helsinki drug police used sources in 2009-2013.

The trial of the ever-largest crime case in the history of the Finnish police will begin at the Helsinki District Court early next month.

In mid-August, Lardot was charged with official misconduct for failing to adequately monitor mismanagement of police informants by rogue Helsinki police officers, said the Yle report.

The report quoting the ministry said Lardot would not be able to discharge his duties while facing such serious charges.

NBI Deputy Director Tero Kurenmaa will take over as the NBI chief replacing Lardot.

Earlier, in mid-May, the Helsinki police chief, Lasse Aapio was suspended on charges of irregularities in the operations of the drug police squad.

Former national police commissioner Mikko Paatero, Lasse Aapio and his predecessor Jukka Riikonen, among others suspects in the case.

A management investigation was ordered by the then interior minister Päivi Räsänen in 2013. At that time, another investigation into the operations of the drug police unit was under way and Räsänen found out the media information and what she got internally from the police did not match.

Last year, Räsänen said she got the impression in 2013 that the Helsinki drug police had been allowed to make its own rules and it was a “wild west” of the police force.

“At its worst, it was possible that the drug police would end carrying out drug crimes on their own,” Räsänen recalled.

The investigation into the operations of the drug police led in 2016 to a ten-year imprisonment of Jari Aarnio, former head of anti-drug squad at the Helsinki Police Department, for drug smuggling, official misconduct and other crimes. Following the court verdict on Aarnio, the investigation into the management problems continued.