Finnish municipal director wins Supreme Court case over evasion of summons

Kivijärvi municipal director Pekka Helppikangas has won his case in Finland’s Supreme Court after prosecutors failed to serve him a summons in a defamation case before the statute of limitations expired, Yle reports.

The prosecution sought to extend the statute of limitations, arguing Helppikangas had evaded the summons. The Supreme Court ruled there were no valid grounds for an extension, as the crime—defamation—was not serious enough to justify it under Finnish law.

In its decision, the court noted defamation is a private prosecution offence, carries only a fine, and did not involve abuse of public authority. While the court acknowledged Helppikangas had taken steps to avoid the summons—including an unexpected leave of absence—it upheld the lower court’s acquittal.

Helppikangas has denied both the defamation allegation and any evasion of the summons.