Pori city council called to secret briefing with locked doors and exit ban

The city council of Pori, Finland, has been summoned to an unusual closed-door briefing on Monday, with the council chamber doors locked and attendees forbidden from leaving during the session, reports Yle. The meeting will cover confidential business information ahead of a planned investment.

According to the invitation sent to councillors, the session—scheduled two hours before the regular council meeting—will begin with the city’s lead lawyer reviewing confidentiality agreements. The document cites Section 24(20) of Finland’s Publicity Act, which permits secrecy for private trade secrets.

Council Chair Krista Kiuru (SDP) issued the call for the closed briefing. The doors to the chamber will be locked five minutes before the start, with no entry or exit permitted once the meeting begins. Mayor Lauri Inna confirmed to Yle that the topic involves preparatory negotiations requiring strict confidentiality but declined to provide details.

The public agenda for Monday’s council meeting lists only a routine update on the main library and indoor sports facility investments. However, Pori is currently advancing multiple projects where secrecy could apply, including industrial investments in Meri-Pori, plans for a TNT factory in Noormarkku for national defence purposes, and the city’s majority stake in energy company Pori Energia—from which it sold a significant minority share to a Swedish pension fund last year for hundreds of millions in revenue.

Closed council sessions are rare in Pori. Previous instances include the 2019 decision to subsidise Helsinki-bound air traffic and the 2017 purchase of the Mäntyluoto shipyard, where leaks risked a €100,000 fine per councillor under local media reports at the time.