The Estonian Artists' Union (EKL) lost 700,000 euros. This money was intended for artists' salaries and grants. The fraud came via a phone call.
On the morning of May 15, someone called from the bank. They said that money had disappeared from EKL's account. The chief accountant made suspicious transactions. Their work has now been suspended. They are helping to investigate what happened.
The board is responsible for the money. In this case, the fraud was committed by the accountant. But the board also oversees accounting.
EKL president Maarin Ektermann said that the board will not resign. "We need to make a short, medium, and long-term plan," she said.
The union will begin an internal investigation. A commission will examine what happened. If they find problems, the council can replace the board.
According to EKL's statutes, the board should have three members. But for the past two years, there have been two members. The third member should be a financial or legal expert. They do not have to belong to the union.
Currently, the board has two members: president Maarin Ektermann and vice president Tüüne-Kristin Vaikla.