Finnish professor charged with spying for Russia
April 14th, 2012 - 2:48 pm ICT by IANSMoscow, April 14 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A Finnish academic has been charged by Denmark with aiding alleged Russian spies in Copenhagen.
According to Finland’s national broadcaster YLE, 49-year-old Timo Kivimäki was first arrested and questioned by Danish detectives in 2010.
The Finn has been suspended from his job as professor of international politics at the University of Copenhagen.
He has admitted to providing consultancy services to four Russian diplomats between 2005 and 2010, and said he had charged 16,000 euros for the work, the Helsingin Sanomat daily reported.
Denmark’s security agency PET has alleged the diplomats were spies.
The former head of PET told YLE that Kivimäki might have passed information about his students, who the Russians could have then used to recruit agents in Denmark.
But Kivimäki said there was no evidence to back the allegations and insisted that he was “innocent”. He faces up to six years in jail if convicted.
He also said he was “relieved” that the matter was going to court.
Kivimäki has worked in Denmark for many years and has good contacts with radical Muslim and separatist organizations in Southeast Asia, the Helsingin Sanomat said.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
pm/vt
- Russia denies Finnish airspace violation - Aug 25, 2012
- Poland releases Russian spy on parole - Nov 17, 2011
- Finland better off within Eurozone: Finnish PM - Jul 16, 2012
- Russian expert who sold rocket secrets to China freed - Jun 19, 2012
- Russian drug dealer's accomplice gets 30 years in jail - Jul 29, 2011
- Russia begins probe into bogus election videos - Mar 01, 2012
- Russian spies most active in Czech Republic - Aug 23, 2012
- Former Spanish judge to defend Assange - Jul 25, 2012
- 230-year-old champagne found off Finnish coast - Sep 01, 2010
- Unwell Glock ruled out of Valencia race - Jun 24, 2012
- Russia asks Ukraine to extradite Putin plot suspect - Mar 01, 2012
- Olympic sailing: Finland snatches elliot bronze - Aug 11, 2012
- Man jailed after dog 'shoots' friend - Apr 04, 2012
- Gunshot kills Russian government official - Dec 29, 2011
- Russia jails military officer for spying for CIA - Feb 10, 2012
Tags: allegations, april 14, consultancy services, denmark, detectives, finland, finn, helsingin sanomat, international politics, muslim, national broadcaster, ria novosti, russia moscow, russian diplomats, russian spies, russians, security agency, six years, southeast asia, university of copenhagen