Former Supo deputy chief avoids charges in major investigation

Seppo Ruotsalainen, who previously served as the operational deputy chief of the Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Supo), has avoided charges of dereliction of duty. The decision was made by Deputy Prosecutor General Jukka Rappe, who considered the responsibility of the former chief, Antti Pelttari, to have lessened Ruotsalainen's culpability.

This case is connected to the most extensive criminal investigation involving Supo to date. Allegations suggest that Supo employees provided false or misleading information in applications related to technical surveillance, wiretapping, and telemonitoring. Based on this inaccurate information, the district court subsequently granted Supo the necessary permits.

Ruotsalainen was pictured in December 2018 during Supo's annual national security review. The investigation into Supo has been described as the largest in its history.