Berry firm CEO resigns after trafficking conviction

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				Berry firm CEO resigns after trafficking conviction

The Lapland District Court has sentenced the CEO of berry company Kiantama, Vernu Vasunta, to three and a half years in prison for 62 counts of aggravated human trafficking. Photo: Jouni Porsanger / Str / Lehtikuva

The CEO of one of Finland’s largest berry companies, Kiantama, has stepped down after receiving a prison sentence for aggravated human trafficking involving dozens of Thai workers.

Vernu Vasunta, 51, was sentenced by the Lapland District Court to three and a half years in prison and was banned from engaging in business activities until 2029. His associate, Thai national Kalyakorn Phongphit, 54, was sentenced to three years in prison. Both were found guilty of 62 counts of aggravated human trafficking.

Vasunta announced his resignation from Kiantama’s board and management with immediate effect. He had led the family-owned business since 2001.

“Although the verdict is not yet final, I believe it is in the best interest of the company that I step down,” Vasunta said in a statement issued by Kiantama.

The court found that Thai berry pickers were deceived about income prospects and living conditions in Finland before being recruited for the 2022 harvest. During their stay, the workers were subjected to exploitative conditions that amounted to forced labour.

Each picker harvested between 2,400 and 4,000 kilograms of bilberries and lingonberries during the roughly 10-week season. Despite the heavy workload, early mornings to late evenings without days off, most earned only a few hundred euros after deductions.

The deductions covered inflated travel, food, accommodation, and vehicle expenses. Many pickers signed debt agreements and guarantees for each other’s travel costs before arriving in Finland. Their passports were often collected and held by camp supervisors soon after arrival.

The court noted that pickers became financially and logistically dependent on the company and its local coordinators. They were not provided with truthful information about their right to sell berries independently, leaving them no realistic option but to continue working under company-defined conditions to pay off their debts.

Kiantama was fined €100,000, and the convicted parties were ordered to pay over €600,000 in compensation to the workers for financial losses and suffering. They must also reimburse nearly €279,000 in legal fees and €30,000 in trial costs.

Although the court acknowledged that living quarters were not inhumane and complied with official lodging standards, it described the overall scheme as deceitful and exploitative.

Meals were another point of contention. Pickers were charged €8 daily for food, which often consisted of dishes such as fish-head soup and chicken offal delivered in buckets to forest work sites. The meals were typically cold and sometimes left uneaten.

Despite the substandard food and intense workload, the court found no evidence that the workers were subjected to degrading living conditions. However, the use of deception and the systematic exploitation of a vulnerable group made the offences aggravated.

Legal counsel for the defendants indicated that appeals are likely. The court’s written verdict exceeds 200 pages. The ruling was unanimous among the panel of three judges.

The case has brought renewed scrutiny to Finland’s seasonal labour system and recruitment practices in the berry industry, particularly the vulnerability of foreign workers in remote and unregulated environments.

HT

Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi

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