Finland prevents the sale of real estate near the army garrison to Russian citizens | News
The buyers changed the reasons for purchasing the property several times due to follow-up inquiries by the Ministry of Defense of Finland.
The Ministry of Defense has denied a group of three Russian citizens permission to buy a former nursing home in Lohiko near Kankaanpää in Satakunta.
The property is located right next to the Niinisalo garrison, which is the base of the Army’s artillery brigade.
The ministry announced the decision on Wednesday afternoon, adding that the defense minister Antti Kaikkonen (Cen) signed the denial of permission.
Yle reported in the fall that Russian buyers planned to buy Lohiko’s property, when the Ministry of Defense began investigating the transaction.
The city of Kankaanpää and the properties located in the municipality are particularly important in terms of maintaining national security, and according to the ministry, the property located so close to the Niinisalo garrison could be used at the expense of Finland’s territorial integrity.
In the press release, the ministry also stated that the reasons given by the buyers for purchasing the property were not considered credible. Potential buyers also changed the purpose of use of the property several times due to follow-up inquiries from the ministry.
The permit application originally stated that the property was for leisure use, but this was later changed at least twice: first to a rehabilitation center and then to a hostel.
In addition, the building of the property would require a very extensive renovation in order to be able to carry out the business proposed by the buyers, but the ministry did not say that it had received a credible report on the implementation or financing of the renovation.
The decision to refuse a permit is based on the law for use in 2020 This requires that citizens from outside the EU and EEA must apply for a permit to buy real estate in Finland. The Ministry used the law for the first time in October this year prevents a Russian citizen from buying a house in Kotka, in the southeastern part of the country.
Would you like a summary of the week’s most important stories in your inbox every Thursday? Then Log in get our weekly email!