Finnish cleaning entrepreneurs convicted of aggravated extortion

Helsinki District Court has sentenced two cleaning industry entrepreneurs to suspended prison terms of about 18 months for aggravated extortion, arranging illegal entry into the country and an offence involving false register entries, Yle reports.

The man and woman exploited the financial hardship and lack of understanding of 26 people who had travelled to Finland from abroad. They jointly charged people living in the Philippines so-called threshold fees for employment and residence permits in Finland.

In exchange for the payments, the entrepreneurs signed employment contracts with the complainants without actually intending to provide the agreed work. The defendants collected nearly 130,000 euros in threshold fees over three years.

Most of the complainants found work at the defendants’ company after arriving in Finland, but they were not given full-time employment or the wages specified in their contracts. Two were not offered any work at all.

The contracts specified working hours of about 37 hours per week, but the complainants were ultimately offered workdays lasting no more than a few hours. Their residence permits were therefore based on incorrect information.

Court cites long duration of offences

The court said the threshold fees were particularly high considering the general income level in the Philippines. Charging such a fee is illegal in itself, and paying one is not a requirement for employment or for obtaining a residence permit.

According to the judgment, the cleaners recruited from the Philippines did not have sufficient language skills or knowledge of Finnish employment legislation.

The court considered the offences aggravated and especially systematic, citing the number of complainants and the long period over which they were committed.

The defendants were ordered to repay the threshold fees to the complainants. They were also given four-year bans on conducting business.

The judgment is not final.