The Estonian Artists' Union recently lost a lot of money. Criminals withdrew nearly €700,000 from the organization's accounts within a week. A significant portion of this money was targeted funding from the Ministry of Culture. This money was intended for paying artists' salaries and grants.
Minister of Culture Heidy Purga initiated administrative supervision. It will monitor the use of creative grants and scholarships in 2026. The supervision will be carried out by Ministry of Culture employees Krista Nelson and Triin Nigul.
Nelson wrote to the Artists' Union. She wants to know how the NGO operates. She seeks information on financial control, information security, and internal order. She wants to know if assets and personal data are secure.
These actions will take place in June 2026. The Estonian Artists' Union lost €700,000 due to a phone scam. The police announced that they detained two suspects on May 25 in Maardu. One is a 22-year-old Lithuanian man, and the other is a 21-year-old Estonian man. They are suspected of fraud related to the Artists' Union.