On July 14, an emergency joint session will be held. The topic to be discussed is how government agencies gained access to account holders' bank statements without legal justification. The public is very interested in this topic, but the session is closed. Maris Lauri says this is common practice.
The session will involve various committees. The discussion will focus on government agencies' access to account data. There is much public debate on this topic, but the session is closed. Maris Lauri explained that sessions of Riigikogu committees are rarely public. Her committee's sessions usually take place in a closed room.
Lauri said that on Monday, topics will be discussed that are not advisable for the public to know. This includes, for example, investigation methods. Therefore, it was decided to make the session closed. She also mentioned that some Riigikogu members do not know how proceedings are conducted. Therefore, explanations are needed.
The Chancellor of Justice's letter was sent to the Finance and Justice Committee. Lauri is a member of both committees. She said that this topic also relates to investigative actions. Therefore, it was decided to make the session closed. The session will take place in a larger room, which is not classified but is closed. Lauri said this decision is logical.
During Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise's audit, it was found that government agencies gained access to account holders' bank statements without legal justification. According to the Chancellor of Justice, state institutions made tens of thousands of bank data queries in one year.