Scandal-hit former Minister for Economic Affairs Vilhelm Junnila (Finns) looks to have given inaccurate information about his work history and education, according to an Yle investigation.
He has claimed to have been an entrepreneur and to have studied politics at university.
Yle's MOT unit did not find evidence to back up his claim of an active career in business or studying politics at university.
MOT asked Junnila, his assistant and the Ministry for Economic Affairs, but did not receive answers about the findings in this story. He is currently at an OECD meeting in Canada.
The minister resigned on Friday, saying his position as minister was not in Finland's best interests and might prevent the government executing its programme.
Startup in Poland?
Junnila has claimed to be an entrepreneur, with both the Finns Party and parliament's website featuring that information.
On his own website he says that he "developed a technology startup in Poland". He also claims to have sold the company. MOT found no evidence of this firm in the Polish company register.
Neither did MOT find any other evidence of Junnila's activities as an entrepreneur. It was also unclear in which startup Junnila claims to have worked.
According to the trade register, Junnila has official positions in just two companies: he is on the advisory board of the Finnish state railway firm VR and chair of the Naantalin Matkailu company, which is a tourism promotion company owned by the municipality of Naantali.
Both those positions are linked to his status as an MP and as a member of Naantali council.
The only reference to other companies are found in Junnila's declarations of interest to parliament and Naantali council. He says he was a shareholder and chair of the board at a company called "Sloncechmura". Słońce Chmura is a Polish term that means "sun cloud".
That could be the Polish startup that Junnila claims on his website to have developed.
The Polish trade register does not have evidence of any firm named Sloncechmura or Słońce Chmura. Junnila is not named on the register in a position of responsibility at any other company. The term mentioned by Junnila in his declarations does not produce any results online or in international trade registers.
Minister Junnila looks to have given misleading information about his educational history as well. Junnila says on his website that he "studied business and accounting at a university of applied sciences and politics at university, alongside work."
MOT's investigations suggest that the claim about studying politics is questionable. Information obtained from Turku University suggests that Junnila had study rights at Turku's open university in the 2018-19 academic year.
There is no entrance exam to the open university and it is open to everyone, but subject to fees. Students cannot graduate from the open university with a university degree.
His studies did not progress beyond the planning stage, however. According to information received from Turku University, Junnila did not complete a single course at the institution. Neither has he done so at any other Finnish-language university that teaches politics.
MOT found no evidence that he had completed any studies in politics at any universities based abroad, either.
MOT has sent Junnila questions about his work and study history, including queries about how much business and entrepreneurship experience he had and with which companies.
Some of the questions concerned the Polish firm mentioned in his declarations, and some were about business partners and current roles in other companies that could affect his ministerial post.
Junnila has not replied to MOT's queries, however.
The responsibilities of the Minister for Economic Affairs include innovation, company funding and the promotion of foreign investment. The minister may have to deal with decisions regarding large investments to be made in Finland.
Junnila was first elected to parliament in 2019. Before that he had worked in parliament as a special advisor for the Finns Party.
Before he resigned on Friday, parliament voted on a confidence motion in Junnila as Minister for Economic Affairs. He won the vote 95-86, although seven of his coalition partners in the Swedish People's Party voted against him.