Police Do Not Initiate Criminal Proceedings Against Estonia Theatre Employee
The Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) confirmed that no criminal investigation was launched against Helen Lepalaan, an employee of the National Opera "Estonia" responsible for role distribution, as no signs of a crime were found in her actions.
Estonian police have not initiated criminal proceedings against Helen Lepalaan, an employee of the National Opera "Estonia" who handles role distribution. The Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) confirmed that no investigation was started because no criminal elements were detected in her actions.
The case gained wide publicity after the newspaper Eesti Ekspress reported that Lepalaan, who assigns roles at the theatre, provides paid vocal lessons to soloists and decides who gets which role. Allegedly, this caused many opera artists who gained fame abroad not to perform at the theatre.
Following the allegations, Ott Maaten, director of the Estonia Theatre, stated that the theatre would contact the police. "This is indeed a very serious accusation, and we took it with all seriousness. We are checking the corruption accusations that appeared in the media. Today we have already filed a report with the police and started an internal investigation. Additionally, the police will immediately begin an investigation, and we want a completely clear and unambiguous answer," Maaten said then.
A police representative reported that criminal proceedings against Lepalaan were not initiated because no signs of a crime were found: "The Central Criminal Police's Corruption Crimes Bureau examined the circumstances of the case and concluded that no crime was committed."
