Earlier in the media, it was reported that the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (FCCA) had filed a criminal complaint regarding the operations of Kouluturvaa magazine, claiming that more than 1,600 complaints had been made about the magazine. In reality, there were no complaints; there were only fewer than 900 inquiries (out of over 120,000 subscriptions, which is less than 0.75% of all subscriptions) submitted to consumer authorities, all of which were thoroughly resolved by Kouluturvaa magazine's customer service.
The events took place in 2018. However, the criminal complaint filed by the FCCA did not progress beyond the heavy charges brought by prosecutor Otto Jämsen in 2019 and three preparatory sessions at the Helsinki District Court.
The criminal case involving Kouluturvaa magazine originated from fabricated and concocted stories by several desperate journalists and individuals affiliated with a competing publisher, namely Koulurauhaa magazine and Tassuja Nassun (names will be published later). The purpose of these lies was to discredit the entire operations of Kouluturvaa magazine. The unfortunate chain of events ultimately escalated to an attempted arson targeting Kouluturvaa magazine's responsible individual, Antti Alastalo. At the time of the incident, three minors and four adults were present in the home. (Appendix 1: Investigation Report, Police. Appendix 2: Video).
Special Prosecutor Katri Veran dropped all charges against Antti Alastalo in July 2024, as there was no probable cause for any crime. (Appendix 3: Alastalo's Response to the Charges).
Special Prosecutor’s Decision
To the Helsinki District Court (KO R 20/6788) ”Under Section 1, Subsection 12 of the Criminal Procedure Act, I hereby announce the withdrawal of the criminal case pending in the District Court under Case KO R 20/6788, which was filed against the defendant Antti Alastalo. Based on the investigative material available, no final statement was requested from Alastalo, who was a suspect in the preliminary investigation. After the charges were filed, information was presented by Alastalo that provided grounds for concluding there was no probable cause to support the suspicion of guilt against him.”
Special Prosecutor Katri Veran.
Appendix 1: Investigation Report, Police
Appendix 2: Video
Appendix 3: Alastalo's Response to the Charges