The Estonian public broadcasting agency reported on Saturday that Estonian Justice Minister Kalle Laanet has resigned amid a corruption scandal involving the rental of an apartment from his stepson's family. Laanet stated to the broadcasting agency, "In order to ensure legal clarity and the integrity of the work in government, I have decided today that I will not remain the Minister of Justice. The other reason for my resignation is that my loved ones have been subjected to unwarranted public attack."
Laanet will continue to perform his duties until the president appoints a new justice minister upon the prime minister's recommendation. Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said, "The decision made by Kalle Laanet today to step down from the position of Minister of Justice is the right step in the current situation. For the functioning of government and Kalle's personal interests, it is necessary for Kalle to take a step back at this time. I thank Kalle for his work as Minister of Justice and will now begin searching for a new candidate for this position."
The newspaper Eesti Ekspress reported that Kalle Laanet, in his capacity as Minister of Justice, and previously as Minister of Defense, rented an apartment in Tallinn from his stepson using public funds. During his ministerial terms, state rental bills totaling over 12,000 euros were paid, and police believe Laanet violated anti-corruption laws.
