EcoReporter Segment: Fundraiser Initiators: Laupmaa Stalling and Messing Around with Money

In our upcoming EcoReporter segment, we will be discussing the case of Henri Laupmaa, the head of the NGO “Infograafika ja Ergonoomika Instituut,” who is suspected of misappropriating funds donated through the online crowdsourcing platform Toeta.me. The Estonian Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) has opened criminal proceedings to investigate these allegations.

One of the projects in question involved raising funds to send drones to Ukraine to support the Ukrainian military. According to Laupmaa, the delay in transferring the funds to the drone manufacturer was due to the need to amend the contract. However, the initiators of the donation project, Riigikogu MPs Juku-Kalle Raid and Eerik-Niiles Kross, believe that Laupmaa was stalling in order to keep the money.

So far, donations totaling €63,000 have been made to the drone manufacturer, Threod Systems, with another €37,000 on the way. However, it remains unclear why the funds were transferred in multiple installments without a pre-agreement in place.

The fundraising campaign was supposed to run until June of this year, but there was no pre-agreement signed between the campaign initiators and the Toeta.me platform. The campaign was conducted on the basis of mutual trust, which has now been called into question.

This case highlights the need for stricter regulations in online crowdsourcing platforms like Toeta.me. The lack of regulation leaves room for potential misuse of funds and undermines the trust of donors. It is important to ensure that funds donated for charitable purposes are used appropriately and transparently.

We will continue to follow this case and provide updates as more information becomes available.