Deputy State Prosecutor Jukka Rappe has rescinded a regional prosecutor's decision not to investigate criminal suspicions related to the Minister for Economic Affairs, Wille Rydman (Finns).
The news was reported first by Iltalehti.
Rappe has ordered Helsinki police to complete a preliminary investigation into the case. Rydman is suspected of breaching confidentiality by publishing information from a police investigation in his book.
Rydman said on X, the social network previously known as Twitter, that the book "will withstand legal scrutiny".
"My book contains nothing that cannot be published," said Rydman.
Rydman became a minister in the summer when the previous Minister for Economic Affairs, Vilhelm Junnila (Finns) resigned after numerous racism and CV-related scandals.
Rydman himself had changed parties ahead of the 2023 parliamentary election, joining the Finns Party after resigning from the National Coalition Party.
In June 2022 Helsingin Sanomat had published extensive allegations made by multiple young women that Rydman had harassed them. Rydman strenuously denied the allegations.
Police investigated and decided not to charge Rydman over the most serious allegation, related to an alleged rape in 2015.
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