Harju County Court ruled on Friday that MTÜ Slava Ukraini cannot withdraw from the legal proceedings. The court did not consider the association's request to receive proof that they are not involved in the court case.
This means that Slava Ukraini cannot be liquidated. The association turned to the prosecutor's office after Tartu County Court refused to remove them from the business registry. The court stated that Slava Ukraini is a victim in the court case and therefore cannot be removed from the registry.
The Commercial Code states that a legal entity cannot be removed from the registry if it is involved in legal proceedings. Harju County Court said they cannot interfere in the decisions of Tartu County Court.
The prosecutor's office believed that the liquidation of Slava Ukraini would not hinder the legal proceedings. However, the prosecutor found no legal basis for removing the association from the court case. The court agreed with this.
Anu Viltrop, former head of Slava Ukraini, said in court that the association has no money. In the fall, the association's members decided not to demand money back from former head Johanna-Maria Lehtme. Six members supported the liquidation of the association.
Slava Ukraini ceased operations in 2023 due to lack of funds. The association was founded in 2022 to help Ukraine. It collected 6.5 million euros in donations.
In 2023, Lehtme was accused of misusing funds. The prosecutor's office initiated an investigation. Lehtme denies the accusations. Her court case will begin in 2026. According to the prosecutor's office, the damage she caused amounts to nearly 450,000 euros.