Ranua mayor calls for investigation into possible leak of confidential zoo sale plans

Ranua’s municipal director, Tuomas Aikkila, has proposed an investigation into whether elected officials leaked confidential information to the media about the secret preparation of the municipality’s tourism company sale, reports Yle.

The proposal, to be presented at Monday’s municipal board meeting, follows reporting by Lapin Kansa that revealed Ranua had been quietly planning the sale of its zoo and tourism operations. The board will request written explanations from three council members—Ulla Ilvesluoto, Petri Manninen, and Mikko Sarajärvi—regarding their potential involvement in disclosing classified information. Their responses are due by May 18.

Aikkila cited municipal law, which requires immediate criminal reporting if an official misconduct is suspected. However, he declined to confirm whether the zoo sale preparations were legally classified as confidential, stating only that “the preparatory text contains all we can disclose at this stage.”

A separate criminal report has already been filed over the alleged leak. Manninen, who confirmed submitting the report, called the board’s proposal a “defensive reaction” and dismissed the situation as “absurd.” He denied leaking any confidential documents, stating he had “not seen a single classified paper.”

Ilvesluoto and Sarajärvi had previously requested an official review of the sale preparations, codenamed “Stella Polaris,” which was also brought to the attention of the municipal audit committee. Sarajärvi defended his actions as an obligation to address potential misconduct by the mayor and board, while Ilvesluoto denied any breach of confidentiality.

The zoo, a key local attraction, recently acquired two new polar bears in December.