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The Commander of the Defence Forces submitted his report to the President of the Republic
12.03.2001

Rear Admiral Tarmo Kõuts, the Commander of the Defence Forces, today submitted to the President of the Republic the report on the shooting exercise at the Nursipalu range on May 13, 1999. The report was based on the results of supervisory control conducted by Major Einar Laigna, Chief Inspector of the Defence Forces.

The supervisory control has established the following:

1. A shooting exercise prepared in accordance with military order was conducted at the Nursipalu training range on May 13, 1999, from 19.50 to 21.00. The shooting exercise had been prepared by the Battle School of the Defence Forces. The shooting exercise was conducted in accordance with safety regulations and requirements. No digressions or extraordinary events were observed. The members of the defence forces followed the valid rules and service regulations in accordance with requirements.

2. From 21.00 to 21.30 on the same afternoon after the Battle School shooting exercise had been concluded, shooting from a pump-action shotgun, a weapon not included in the list of weapons of the Defence Forces of the Republic of Estonia, took place at the Nursipalu range. The shooters were Mart Laar, Robert Lepikson, Eerik-Niiles Kross and Jaan Tross. In the course of shooting, also an invitation card depicting Edgar Savisaar, member of the Riigikogu, was shot at.

3. No member of the defence forces participated in the shooting described under clause 2.

4. In this matter, there are no grounds for starting disciplinary proceedings including a supervisory control investigation against any members of the defence forces.

President Meri expressed his satisfaction with the fact that no member of the defence forces had participated in the shooting. The President issued orders to the Commander of the Defence Forces to publish the report.

The President of the Republic and the Commander of the Defence Forces discussed the legislative basis of the organisation of the defence forces. The President of the Republic emphasised that it is the duty of the Commander of the Defence Forces to develop the Estonian Defence Forces in the best possible way also under the circumstances where the legal basis of the defence forces is unsatisfactory and the ''Defence Forces Act'', which would serve as a basis for all other legal acts concerning the defence forces and national defence, is still missing. At the same time, the President of the Republic added that the absence of the ''Defence Forces Act'' must not become a factor hindering the development of the defence forces, especially at a time like this when the people and the state and the Estonian officers are doing everything in their power to achieve that Estonia would be invited to accede to NATO.

The report of the Commander of the Defence Forces shall be published in full length at 19.00 today, on March 12, 2001, on the homepage of the General Staff of the Defence Forces and on the homepage of the President of the Republic.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, March 12, 2001

 

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