Estonian Prosecutor's Office launches probe into Defense Ministry finances

Estonia's Prosecutor's Office has launched criminal proceedings to look into the Ministry of Defense's area of administration and its finances, an issue repeatedly flagged in reports by the National Audit Office. The inquiry centers on the ministry's administrative area and whether the balance of inventories reported in its accounts as of December 31, 2024 was accurately stated.

Prosecutor General Astrid Asi said the proceedings followed the National Audit Office's audit published in 2025. Her office reviewed both the audit's findings and a separate crime report it had received. On October 13, an investigation was opened under a Penal Code provision addressing breaches of accounting obligations that significantly hinder the ability to assess an entity's economic and financial standing.

Asi noted that no separate criminal case has been opened in connection with the National Audit Office's audit published on August 28 this year, which covers the 2025 report. Instead, the circumstances and information from that more recent audit are being examined as part of the proceedings already opened in 2025.

No one has yet been named a suspect in the case. The Internal Security Service, known as KAPO, is leading the investigation.

Ministry pledges cooperation

Defense Ministry Secretary General Kaimo Kuusk said the ministry is aware of the ongoing proceedings and is fully cooperating with the investigative authorities. He stressed that no one has been named a suspect and that the matter concerns compliance with accounting organization requirements, an issue raised in the National Audit Office's report on the state's 2024 annual financial statements. Kuusk added that the audit office's observations are relevant and that the ministry has already taken steps to address the identified shortcomings.