Helsinki police said on Wednesday that their preliminary investigation found no evidence of negligence or breach of official duties in Valvira’s checking of diplomas issued outside the EU.
Following an outcry late last year over unqualified doctors who claimed they had trained abroad, a Valvira employee requested the police look into the agency's handling of questionable diplomas.
The complaint related to the agency’s investigation of doctors who were licensed to practice in Finland but trained outside the EU or EEA. Some of the affected doctors were Finnish nationals.
Since the first cases came to light, Valvira has so far confirmed the credentials of some 438 foreign-trained doctors. Valvira has informed the police of how it intends to continue checking the credentials of doctors who have unacceptable diplomas.
The agency has requested help from other official bodies, including the National Bureau of Investigation. The investigations could take months.