Police send Tampere serial appellant case to prosecutors

Police have completed their preliminary investigation into a Tampere man suspected of attempted extortion, and the case will now go to prosecutors for consideration of charges, Yle reports.

The 51-year-old man is known for filing more than 100 requests for reconsideration of Tampere city decisions and appealing dozens of cases to an administrative court. The city filed a request for a police investigation into his conduct late last year.

Investigative lead Sami Suhonen said the suspicion relates to the man’s appeals and steps connected to their handling. Suhonen did not comment on who may have been targeted by the suspected crime.

The dispute behind the appeals began after the man won a plot in a city lottery but the city’s property director decided not to reserve it for him. The man has since mainly challenged decisions on plot reservations, leases and sales. He has also sought more than 150,000 euros in compensation from the city and filed complaints against municipal officials. He previously told Yle that his actions were not motivated by revenge.

Yle said it was reporting on the case because the man’s actions had caused significant disruption to both private individuals and the city. It has not published his name because he is a private individual.