Silvergate may develop into a bribery case
29.08.2012, 12:00One key person in the so-called Silvergate affair in which several Reform Party members are suspected of having laundered political donations is Kalle Palling, an MP who has already had to battle accusations that he told a person to donate 15,000 kroons to the Reform Party, writes Postimees.
According to Postimees, the prosecutors are now focusing on Palling because of bribery suspicion.
Postimees asked Palling the following questions: how many times he had been questioned by prosecutors, was he questioned as a witness or a suspect, has a suspicion been made and if yes, is it connected with bribery.
In his response, Palling said that his conscience was clear and that he was ready to help the investigation any way he can.
“I visited the police once in connection with the Silver Meikar case. I signed a document which prohibited me from disclosing any information relevant to the ongoing investigation,” he added.
The chief prosecutor in the Silvergate affair, Heili Sepp, was not available for comment yesterday, but the prosecutor’s office issued a statement saying that it had not opened any criminal cases against Kalle Palling.
“All criminal suspicions linked to the possible illegal funding of the Reform Party are being investigated in the framework of a single criminal case,” said the office.
In May, a former member of the party, who asked that her identity be withheld, announced that she received the equivalent of about 1,000 euros from Reform MP Kalle Palling in 2008 and then transferred it to the party's account as a personal donation.
Palling had denied the accusation. "I have made donations to the Reform Party only from my personal funds," he said.
Later Palling contacted a new service and claimed that the anonymous person was his former longtime girlfriend, with whom he had shared a household, including financial affairs.
"That is why she made a contribution to the party at my request," said Palling.