National Opera Estonia Board to Meet Amid Bribery Allegations

The supervisory board of the National Opera Estonia is set to hold an extraordinary meeting in the coming days to discuss a controversy that erupted last week. At the heart of the matter are serious allegations that roles within the opera have been awarded in exchange for money.

Ivari Ilja, the chairman of the National Opera Estonia's supervisory board, emphasized in an opinion piece that such grave accusations cannot be substantiated by assumptions or rumors alone. To address this, the opera has launched a thorough internal investigation. To guarantee the objectivity of this process, an independent auditor has been brought in to oversee the proceedings.

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The most important accusation concerns the alleged awarding of roles for money at the Estonia. For such claims, assumptions or rumors are not enough. The National Opera has initiated a serious internal audit, involving an independent auditor to ensure its objectivity. In a state governed by law, such serious accusations must be assessed based on verified circumstances, not opinions or beliefs.

Ilja stressed the importance of due process, stating that in a state governed by law, serious accusations must be evaluated based on controlled facts and circumstances, rather than personal opinions or beliefs. The upcoming meeting will serve as a platform to discuss all raised issues and assess the necessity of further actions.

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An extraordinary meeting of the supervisory board of the National Opera Estonia will be held in the coming days, where all the raised topics will be discussed and the need for further steps will be assessed.