IL: Supo blocks Purra's choice for media advisor role due to China links
The Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (Supo) highlighted a number of issues during the preferred candidate's security check, including his partner's former Chinese nationality.
Finance Minister Riikka Purra's (Finns) plans to appoint journalist Jari Kuikanmäki as her media relations advisor have fallen through following a background check by the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (Supo).
The decision was first reported by tabloid Iltalehti.
In an interview with the newspaper, Kuikanmäki said that Supo highlighted a number of issues during his security clearance check, including his partner's former Chinese nationality, a trip to China in 2016, the Chinese nationalities of his partner's parents, and a trip to Finland in 2017.
"We met in London in 2011 and have been together ever since. We moved to Finland in 2013," Kuikanmäki told the tabloid, adding that his partner is now a Finnish citizen, with no criminal record, and has lived in Finland for over 10 years.
IL noted that Kuikanmäki's common-law spouse became a Finnish citizen in 2022, and is no longer a Chinese citizen, as China does not recognise dual citizenship.
Kuikanmäki told Yle that it is still unclear to him why this connection to China has prevented him from taking up the role as Minister Purra's advisor.
"I don't quite know what has happened. It seems to me that there are dimensions to this case that would require an assessment of whether discrimination has taken place, but it is not for me to make that assessment," Kuikanmäki said.
The government's office carries out security checks on all individuals appointed to the role of ministerial special advisor, as a matter of protocol.
Unfortunately, totalitarian and oppressive governments have the ability to do whatever they want to their citizens. Expats with relatives living in an unfriendly totalitarian nation are vulnerable to state sponsored extortion. Do you want someone that has a high potential to be exploited in a senior government position? This is an example of the least sinister reason why you would fail a security check. For 1 or 2 years after my divorce, I couldn't get NATO security clearance because people in tenuous financial situations are vulnerable to exploitation. It's a pretty simple concept. With security clearance any risk means you get denied.