The Helsinki Court of Appeal has accepted a prosecutor's request to take Vastaamo data breach suspect Aleksanteri Kivimäki back into custody.
Western Uusimaa District Court had previously decided, on 5 February, that Kivimäki should be released from pretrial detention.
The court also imposed a travel ban on Kivimäki, ordering him to remain in the city of Espoo, and not to leave his parents' house between the hours of 7pm and 8am. He was not fitted with an ankle bracelet for electronic monitoring, even though his defence had suggested this as an option.
On Friday, the appeals court overruled the lower court, ordering Kivimäki to be taken back into custody at Vantaa prison for an indefinite period of time.
However, on Monday morning, regional prosecutor Pasi Vainio told Yle that the police had not been able to locate Kivimäki.
"My understanding is that the police have already taken measures as a result of the arrest warrant on Friday, when the Court of Appeal issued the decision," he said.
Western Uusimaa police said on Monday afternoon that Kivimäki had not yet turned himself in, despite promising to do so in a Telegram message to the daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat.
Lawyer: Kivimäki is not absconding
Kivimäki's lawyer, Peter Jaari, denied that Kivimäki was fleeing justice.
"I urged him to turn himself in, but he sent a message saying that he would see me at the district court [this] week at the latest. I trust that he will show up there, if the police don't find him first," he told Yle.
Jaari admitted that he did not know where Kivimäki was, but insisted that his client had been strictly complying with the travel ban.
Kivimäki took part in the last trial hearing a week ago. There are no sessions scheduled for this week.
NBI help in the search
The Western Uusimaa police department asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for help in the search over the weekend, said Detective Inspector Marko Leponen, who is leading the Vastaamo case investigation.
According to Leponen, the NBI has given the local police information that could help in the search for Kivimäki.
Leponen said that the NBI is not participating in the actual search, which is the responsibility of local police.
Prosecutors warned of flight risk
The prosecutors filed a complaint with the Court of Appeal on 6 February, a day after the district court's acquittal decision.
They insisted that Kivimäki's imprisonment should be continued due to the risk of absconding, arguing that a so-called enhanced travel ban was insufficient in this case.
The travel ban imposed on Kivimäki was not accompanied by technical surveillance, even though he had previously managed to elude police for a long time.
The Court of Appeal agreed with prosecutors’ concerns about the risk of absconding.
The Vastaamo data breach trial is scheduled to continue at the District Court until 8 March.
In the trial that began in October, Kivimäki faces charges including aggravated data breach and aggravated extortion.
The prosecutors are seeking a seven-year prison sentence for Kivimäki for crimes against more than 21,000 victims.
15.32: Updated with more details.