Helsinki police withhold lead investigator’s name in MPs’ home-entry probe

Helsinki police have refused to identify the person leading an investigation into suspected break-ins at MPs’ homes, a decision Yle crime and justice reporter Päivi Happonen questions in an analysis.

The police said on Wednesday that they had opened a criminal investigation into the suspected intrusions, treating the cases as attempted aggravated theft. MPs have said there were no signs of forced entry and that nothing was stolen or damaged.

The allegations drew attention last week when Speaker of Parliament Jussi Halla-aho said MPs’ homes had been entered without their knowledge. Some MPs found doors open or lights on that they did not remember leaving that way. One MP said their home had been visited twice; a power socket had been taken apart and a kitchen cabinet’s kickboard was found in the middle of the floor.

The reports prompted questions about whether a foreign power, including Russia, could be involved. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo commented on the possibility of a foreign state, while President Alexander Stubb described the incidents as an attack on democracy.

Happonen says an important question for the investigation is what evidence supports the police’s suspicion of attempted aggravated theft, given the MPs’ accounts that nothing was taken or damaged.

When Happonen contacted Helsinki Police Department to speak with the investigator, a communications specialist said the department had a higher-level policy not to disclose who was leading the inquiry. Happonen notes that police usually provide this information to the media, allowing journalists to report on significant investigations.

She argues that the police should share as much as possible without jeopardising the investigation, including the identity of its leader.