Police officer and security guard convicted for leaking investigation data

A court in western Uusimaa has convicted a police officer and a security guard for leaking confidential information from a criminal investigation involving the guard’s partner.

The officer, 28, accessed a restricted police database on Christmas night 2022 while off duty and shared details of the case with the guard, also 28, who had previously worked with him. The data concerned assault allegations against security staff employed by Avarnilla Security Oy; those staff later received prison sentences.

Snapchat messages retrieved from the guard’s friend’s phone showed she had received the information from the officer within an hour of his database access. She denied inciting the breach, but the district court rejected her claim that the officer had initiated contact.

The officer admitted the charges and was fined 60 day-fines (€1,440) for data protection violations, breach of official duty, and disclosure of official secrets. The guard received 40 day-fines (€1,400) for incitement. The court noted the breach risked undermining public trust in police and could have compromised a significant investigation. The ruling is not yet final.