The processing of Finnish citizenship applications submitted by Russian oligarch Gennady Timchenko and his family members in the 1990s did not violate regulations in force at the time, according to the findings of a report published by the Interior Ministry on Thursday.
The probe examined the activities of the Directorate of Immigration (a body now known as the Immigration Service, or Migri) and its then-boss Matti Saarelainen in relation to the Timchenko family's applications, as well as the role of the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service Supo in the process.
Saarelianen was also previously a Supo employee.
The ministry began looking into the matter following speculation about how Timchenko — who has been a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin since the early 1990s — obtained the passports relatively quickly.
Helsingin Sanomat reported earlier this year that Timchenko's business partner, Kai Paananen, asked Saarelainen to fast-track the family's applications.
According to Supo, the decision to grant citizenship to Timchenko and his family was taken without their consultation.
In its report, the ministry — which has responsibility for overseeing the operations of both offices — noted that the decision had "sparked a public debate".
"The Ministry of the Interior concluded that the Immigration Office had not violated the citizenship regulations in force at the time," the report said, adding that no issues have been raised during the course of the investigation that would require further measures.
However, the ministry considers the report's findings to be so significant that it will review Supo's internal supervision procedures and their implementation at a later date.
Supo to "study report closely"
Responding to the report, Supo Chief Antti Pelttari said he considered it important that the ministry carried out a probe into an issue that has received a good deal of public attention, adding that his agency intends to study the findings carefully and assess what measures need to be taken.
"However, it can already be said that there is need for improvement, particularly in the area of risk management. We have already put this issue at the top of our internal audit agenda so that we have clear procedures for dealing with risks related to our own staff," Pelttari wrote in a Supo press release.
He added that Supo could have handled the fallout from the case in a better way, but noted the importance for the agency's operations that confidential information remains confidential.
"However, it is equally important that Finnish society retains confidence in the Finnish Security Service. This requires that the public documents of the service are also available to the media," he said.
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