TALLINN — In a move unprecedented in post-independence Estonian politics, Jüri Pihl, leader of Social Democratic Party requested that the country’s Security Police Board initiate a criminal investigation against the prime minister and two other top ministers for treason.

Jüri Pihl made a statement to the Security Police Board on Dec. 2 that he suspects Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Paet, and Minister of Justice Rein Lang of treason and requested that police launch an investigation.

However, police examined the statement for 10 days and after consulting the Public Prosecutor’s Office found there was no basis for a criminal investigation.

Pihl turned to the security police with his statement after being interrogated in a state secret leak case  in September. The interrogation was conducted after the media published information which handled the visa refusals of Russian nationals Sergei Markov and Vassili Jakemenko, both political activists for the Kremlin.

In the statement to police Pihl said he suspected Paet of requesting Rein Lang to cancel the visa refusal prematurely for Markov and Jakomenko in May this year. Rein Lang granted the visa for Sergei Markov, but left the request for Jakomenko ungranted.

Sergei Markov is suspected of taking part in the frequent cyber attacks against Estonia after the 2007 Bronze soldier riots and admitted publicly that he supported the attacks. Jakomenko is the leader of the pro-Putin youth group Nashi.

Pihl denies playing politics

Pihl said during an interview on Estonian Radio Wednesday that the case was being distorted by the media and his statement of suspicion was not politically motivated.

“Only an investigative organ can accuse someone in a crime, and a former minister of the interior can only notify the organ about his suspicions,“ told Pihl. “Only future will show whether those suspicions are true or not.”

Pihl denies he filed a report on the ministers, insisting that he only gave explanations on his suspicions and claims that the issue has been made political.

Accused ministers indignant

Those accused are not taking Pihl’s allegations lightly. Paet said Pihl’s actions reminded him of KGB tactics against opponents of the Communist Party and asserted that criminal complaints are not the appropriate arena for political theater. Pihl was Communist Party politician during the Soviet era.

“I am surprised, surprised in a negative way, that something that serious is used for low moves for achieving something i don’t know. I think that the KGB-like activity should be in the past,“ Paet told Baltic Reports.

The Estonian prime minister echoed Paet’s comparison.

“Instead of finding a solution for the problems of the society, someone is trying to improve his position with KGB methods,“ Inga Jagomäe, the prime minister’s spokeswoman, told Baltic Reports.

Minister of Justice Rein Lang published Pihl’s statement along with his own press release decrying the Social Democrat’s actions.

“The society needs to know on what information Pihl is relying in his statement requesting a criminal investigation on charges that can be sentenced with a lifetime prison sentence, therefore I will publish the statement Pihl made to security police,” told Lang.

Political analysts split

Estonian political analysts are divided as to whether the allegation are based on fact or political vitriol.

Rein Ruutsoo, professor of political theory at the University of Tallinn, said an experienced politician like Pihl probably knows what he is doing and would not make such allegations if there were no ground for doing so.

“Pihl has assured for himself that he ‘indicated’ the problem. In a future perspective it means that if this allegation will be proved, then Pihl on the right side will have gained some stock and the other side has publically wrapped themselves up by denying all,” Ruutsoo told Baltic Reports.

However, political analyst Toomas Alatalu is surprised that information about the accusation, which is supposed to be confidential, reached the media and doesn’t believe it was leaked by investigative body.

“Probably this was staged just to pull down the reputation of the security police,“ Alatalu told Baltic Reports.

Alatalu asserts that Pihl has just lost control. Alatalu would not speculate whether the accusation was true or not, but he believes that the whole thing is being over-hyped by media.