Rovaniemi to repay Heli Välikangas €260,000 plus interest

Rovaniemi will repay former city group attorney Heli Välikangas €260,000 in compensation plus interest, following a Supreme Court ruling, Yle reports. The dispute over the city’s failed investments is not yet over.

The city’s leading legal counsel, Hanna Haurinen, said the matter could still be discussed in the Lapland District Court or through settlement talks with Välikangas.

The city board decided on the repayment on Friday but also returned the matter for further preparation. It will consider the issue again later.

Välikangas could still be required to repay money to the city if the parties fail to reach an agreement, or if the case goes to the Lapland District Court and the court rules accordingly.

“We are in an interim stage, and we, the city, have no right to keep the money,” Haurinen said.

According to Haurinen, the city believes it should later recover compensation from Välikangas. The city is seeking an amicable solution and plans to discuss the matter with her.

Välikangas told Yle by email that she had hoped the matter would finally have been resolved.

“Bringing the matter to a conclusion depends on the city’s willingness,” she said.

Haurinen said the money being returned had been kept separate by the city and had not been used for other expenses. The repayment will be made as soon as possible.

Välikangas paid the €260,000 compensation to the city in summer 2024. About €18,000 in interest has accumulated so far, Haurinen said.

The dispute concerns failed, multimillion-euro investments made by the city nearly a decade ago in a company that financed payday loan firms. The case has been considered over the years by the Lapland District Court, the Rovaniemi Court of Appeal and now the Supreme Court.

City officials will next prepare the matter for the city board.