Police to probe into faulty mask import deal

The National Emergency Supply Agency (Huoltovarmuuskeskus-HVK)-NESA on Tuesday requested a police investigation into the 10-million-euro deal to purchase protective equipment that failed to meet the standards for hospital use.

NESA Chairperson Ilona Lundström at a press conference in the afternoon said the two deals involved a businessman with a chequered financial past, Onni Sarmaste, and one-time reality TV personality Tiina Jylhä, who did not comply with proper procurement procedures, reported the national broadcaster Yle.

Lundström said the agency attempted to cancel the sales contract with Sarmaste’s firm, LDM Partners Ltd.

But the equipment supplied by Sarmaste failed to meet the hospital standard for use.

“NESA has begun to void the deal partly and is calling for a refund of the sum paid for goods that were not delivered as well to compensate for the poor quality of the products supplied. We have also requested a police investigation into the deal,” the Yle report quoted Lundström as saying.

The deal with Sarmaste’s firm was 4.9 million euros and the total amount was paid while the price of the products from Jylhä's firm was EUR 5.3 million with EUR 2.6 million of the price being paid but the payment was frozen.

Earlier, on Monday, the Board of Directors of NESA suspended two senior officials of the agency for their involvement in the process of importing faulty face masks.

The suspended officials are NESA Deputy Director-General (Administration) Asko Harjula and Director, Industry Jyrki Hakola.

On April 10, NESA Managing Director Tomi Lounema resigned following the import of the faulty coronavirus protective equipment.

News agency Xinhua adds: The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment said Tuesday there's evidence of dereliction of duty by the National Emergency Supply Agency (NESA) in a COVID-19 protective gear purchase deal last week.

It had been established that purchase rules and the need to check the background of intermediaries who did business with NESA had been widely disregarded in the deals, Jari Gustafsson, permanent secretary of the ministry, said at Tuesday's press conference.

He also noted that it has emerged during the crisis that Finland had no administrative body for central procurements of protective equipment for hospital use in a crisis situation.

The task had then been given to NESA, "but its capabilities did not match the task," Gustafsson said.

NESA said on April 8 that the a consignment of 2 million masks and 230,000 respirators purchased from China failed to meet Europe's quality standard for hospital use.