PM convenes cabinet meeting to discuss alleged Garden Helsinki corruption

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has called an extraordinary cabinet meeting on Monday to discuss about the alleged corruption regarding the government conditional funding of 35 million euros for the Garden Helsinki arena project, said a government press release on Friday.

The cabinet will prepare the government statement scheduled to be submitted to the parliament on Tuesday.

Earlier on Thursday, Speaker Jussi Halla-aho decided to convene parliament session on Tuesday breaking the ongoing summer recess to debate the allegations of corruption regarding the project led by led by former Economic Affairs Minister and former Helsinki Mayor of ruling Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party-NCP) Jan Vapaavuori.

Tuesday's session in parliament will require the government to publicly explain how the arena project was selected, what assessments supported the funding pledge and whether competing projects were considered.

The government made the decision in April 2025 to conditionally support the Garden Helsinki venue at Töölö in Helsinki, a multipurpose arena planned to be the new home of the Helsinki IFK ice hockey team.

The National Audit Office of Finland on Wednesday opened an inquiry into whether Projekti GH Oy, the company behind the project, was required to report its repeated contacts with government officials to Finland's Transparency Register.

The Prime Minister has been facing widespread criticism following the funding to the project granted to his party colleague.