Eight officials and one civil servant charged with abuse of office in Ähtäri

Eight municipal officials and one civil servant in the Finnish town of Ähtäri are facing charges of abuse of office, with one accused of aggravated misuse of official position, public broadcaster Yle reports.

The alleged offences occurred between February 2018 and March 2020, according to prosecutor Antti Virtanen. The accused, who deny the charges, are suspected of exceeding their decision-making authority.

The investigation began after Ähtäri wrote off millions of euros in receivables from tourism companies it no longer expected to recover. An internal audit revealed that the town had secretly issued unauthorised loans, including funding for giant pandas at a local animal park.

Police launched a preliminary investigation in February 2025 following requests from multiple parties, including Ähtäri’s city council. Initially, 14 individuals were questioned as suspects, but the number was later reduced to 13.