A high-ranking official at the economic affairs and employment ministry, Olli Sorainen, was convicted of aggravated bribery and abuse of public office by Helsinki District Court on Thursday.
At the same time, the court found the former CEO of berry firm Polarica Marjahankinta, Jukka Kristo, guilty of bribing Sorainen.
The trial began in August, with the prosecutor demanding a suspended sentence for Sorainen.
During the trial, the court heard that Sorainen requested and received help from Kristo in purchasing two violins. The musical instruments were for Sorainen's children.
Sorainen was handed a one-year suspended prison sentence. He was also ordered to leave his civil service post at the ministry and to reimburse the state for the value of the bribe, around 7,500 euros.
The court handed an eight-month suspended sentence to Kristo. The berry picking company he led, Polarica Marjanhankinta, was ordered to pay 50,000 euros in fines.
There was a third defendant in the bribery case. The berry company's financial director was initially suspected of aiding the bribe, but the district court dismissed the charge.
Two violins
The court heard that at the end of 2019, Sorainen had asked Kristo to purchase a violin and bow to be used by Sorainen's children. That request was sent from Sorainen's email account at the ministry.
The court heard that Sorainen requested an instrument that cost between 10,000 and 14,000 euros. Kristo gave 5,000 euros towards the purchase of the instrument.
Then, the court heard that in 2022, Sorainen again approached Kristo, asking for 4,600 euros to purchase a more expensive violin, with Kristo agreeing to contribute 2,500 euros.
The defendants had argued that the payments were related to the legal sponsorship of a young musician. However, the court found that Sorainen had kept the musical instruments and that the request for the financial help was linked to his job at the ministry.
Sorainen was a central figure at the ministry regarding berry picking legislation and permit matters.
The district court also found that in 2021, Sorainen helped the berry picking firm Polarica Marjahankinta after ensuring the number of Thai berry pickers would not be reduced by 25 percent — from 500 to 375 — as the company had wanted.
A preliminary investigation of the case by police estimated that the move garnered the company financial gains of at least 780,000 euros.
Former CEO Kristo is also facing 77 charges of aggravated human trafficking in Lapland District Court.
Kristo and his business partner, Kalyakorn Phongpit are suspected of subjecting Thai berry pickers to forced labour and other degrading conditions in Finland in 2022, when a record number of 4,000 berry pickers came from Thailand to work.