Court hears charges over state reform school purchases

Helsinki District Court began hearing charges on Wednesday over questionable purchases made by Finland’s state reform schools, Yle reports. The case is scheduled to last four days.

The defendants are Kaisa Lepola, who headed the state child welfare unit at the time, and Jani Méling, who was the development manager for the state reform schools.

Lepola, a Social Democratic politician from Forssa, now chairs the regional council in Kanta-Häme. Méling, from Lohja, is an entrepreneur and city councillor affiliated with the Greens. Both have denied knowingly acting improperly or unlawfully.

Méling has been suspended from his post, while Lepola has been dismissed. The decision concerning Lepola is not final because an appeal process is still under way.

The purchases under investigation, which are suspected of violating public procurement law, are worth hundreds of thousands of euros in total. Méling acted as the presenting official and Lepola approved most of the purchases made in 2022 and 2023.

Among other purchases, Méling ordered hot tub trailers worth more than 30,000 euros from a company whose chief executive runs a bar in central Lohja with Méling.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, which oversees the state reform schools, commissioned two internal audits in 2024. One examined procurement and the other financial and personnel administration. MTV News reported that police launched a preliminary investigation into the case at the end of that year.

State reform schools operate in Liminka, Pietarsaari, Mikkeli, Kouvola and Vihti.