Allied Intelligence — 2026-09-23

Former Finnish Intelligence Chief Pelttari Charged With Disclosing Security Secrets and Abusing Official Position at Supo

BLUFPelttari will likely face conviction on at least one count by end of 2028, making this the highest-level prosecution of a Finnish security service chief in the country's history.

Finland's National Prosecution Authority announced on Monday that Deputy Prosecutor General Jukka Rappe has charged seven people in a criminal case examining whether Supo violated rules governing police powers, intelligence methods, and classified-information handling 12. Former Supo chief Antti Pelttari, now suspended secretary-general of Parliament, was charged with disclosing a state security secret tied to acts between August 20 and September 7, 2020, and with abuse of official position covering June 2012 through the end of 2023, a charge MTV Uutiset and SSS.fi reported was upgraded from an earlier breach-of-official-duty count 234. Other defendants named by Helsinki Times and SSS.fi include former counterintelligence chief Pertti Haaksluoto, former counterterrorism chief Lasse Anttila, and former deputy director Seppo Ruotsalainen 45. Prosecutors said 10 people were originally investigated, issued 10 non-prosecution decisions covering nine individuals, and stated the case will proceed to Helsinki District Court at a date the court sets 15. Helsinki Times reported the case, called the largest in Supo's history, centers on the agency's counterintelligence unit using retired former Supo employees as intelligence sources against suspected Russian espionage, with allegations that civilians accessed classified material without proper oversight, a device used in the operation was compromised, officers conducted unauthorized residential searches and copied documents without court approval, and courts were given misleading information on surveillance requests; all investigated individuals have denied wrongdoing 5.

Analysis
The charge upgrade from breach of official duty to abuse of official position expands Pelttari's alleged conduct window to June 2012 through late 2023 and stacks it against a separate secrets-disclosure count, raising his sentencing exposure well beyond the earlier charge and setting Helsinki District Court as venue for Finland's largest-ever Supo criminal case. Prosecutors' decision to escalate rather than narrow charges after full pretrial review makes conviction on at least one count likely within roughly the next 27 months. The escalation may instead reflect consolidation of the legal theory across a decade-long pattern rather than new evidence. Confidence is moderate, given reliance on a single primary charging document from the National Prosecution Authority that other outlets republished without independent sourcing. Conviction would force Parliament to formally terminate Pelttari's suspended secretary-general post, while acquittal would revive reinstatement pressure and could undercut the prosecution's case theory ahead of the six other defendants' trials.
6 sources
  1. Suojelupoliisin tiedustelutoimintaa koskevan rikosasian syyteharkinta on valmistunut - Finnish National Prosecution Authority (Syyttäjälaitos)
  2. Secretary-General of Parliament Antti Pelttari charged over Supo intelligence activities - YLE News
  3. Tiedusteluvyyhdistä syytteet seitsemälle – Supon ex-pomon syyte koveni - MTV Uutiset
  4. Suojelupoliisin ex-päällikkö Pelttari ja kuusi muuta saivat syytteet maanpetosrikoksesta supon tiedustelutoimintavyyhdissä - SSS.fi
  5. Seven charged over suspected misconduct at Finland's intelligence service - Helsinki Times
  6. Seven charged in Supo intelligence case, former chief faces new charge - Daily Northern

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