Fewer people suspected of operating business violating ban

In October, the Police targeted intensified controls on persons who have been imposed bans to pursue a business.

During the control period, the number of persons affected by the ban were somewhat over 900, and the controls were targeted at about 10 percent of them, said the National Police Board in a press release on Friday.

Fifty-five persons were contacted for question while 70 more detailed surveys were made. A few persons are suspected of violation the ban to pursue a business, imposed by a court of law.

“The number of breaches of the ban to pursue business detected in the intensive controls were fewer than in previous years, which is, as such, a positive trend,” said Chief Superintendent of the National Police Board Teemu Saukoniemi.

The bans imposed by courts were fewer than before may also have played a role. For example, the number of those covered by a ban to pursue business were over 1200 in 2017.

The simple breach of the ban normally results in a fine. However, combined with other economic crimes, the maximum punishment is two years of imprisonment. In case of a breach of the ban to pursue business operations, the punishment can be complemented with an extension of the ban itself.

“The ban to pursue a business can be imposed on a person who, in their business operations, has materially neglected the statutory obligations related to these operations, or if in doing so, they have made themselves guilty of illegal actions, not considered minor, and in the overall judgements, the operations are harmful,” Chief Superintendent Saukoniemi said.

The minimum duration of the ban to pursue a business imposed by the court of law is at least 3 years and maximum is seven years. The Police controls the respect of the ban.

Once the ban has entered into force, the Police investigates which business operations the person in question has been conducting prior to the ban and which measures they have taken due to the ban.

If the person is suspected of a business-related crime, not of minor significance, the Police will also establish the potential conditions for the imposition of a business ban during the pretrial investigations.