Tampere city council to assess reinstatement of Deputy Mayor Ilkka Sasi after no charges filed

The city council groups of the National Coalition Party (Kokoomus) and the Swedish People’s Party (RKP) in Tampere will assess in their upcoming meeting whether to reinstate Deputy Mayor Ilkka Sasi, who was expelled from the group. On Monday, the Western Finland prosecutor’s office announced that no charges would be filed against Sasi regarding the alleged crimes.

Anne-Mari Jussila, chair of the council groups for Kokoomus and RKP, stated that the legal process has concluded. She confirmed that the group would now evaluate the possibility of welcoming Sasi back into the fold. When Sasi was initially expelled, it was noted that his membership would be reconsidered once the criminal charges were resolved.

“We will continue to discuss this trust issue within the group. Certainly, we will engage in discussions and see what the outcome will be,” Jussila remarked. The group is expected to deliberate on this matter at their meeting before mid-September, with September 13 being indicated as a potential date.

Sasi was expelled from the council group on August 20 due to a loss of confidence and inappropriate behavior, having faced allegations of sexual harassment and alcohol-related offenses at that time. Ilkka Sasi could not be reached for comments regarding the prosecutor’s decision or his future in the council group.

In early July, the Tampere City Council established a temporary committee to investigate Sasi’s trustworthiness. This committee is tasked with examining whether the deputy mayor has lost the council’s confidence and determining the grounds for such a loss. Jussila noted that this temporary committee operates independently, from the broader perspective of the entire council. Mikko Aaltonen, chair of the temporary committee, previously indicated that the decision not to prosecute would not currently impact the committee’s work.