Tõnis Sildaru challenges conviction for misappropriation of Kelly's assets
Tõnis Sildaru, father and coach of Kelly Sildaru, has filed an appeal against the Harju District Court ruling that found him guilty of misappropriating his daughter's assets. The court sentenced him to two years' conditional imprisonment.
Tõnis Sildaru files appeal against conviction for asset misappropriation
Tõnis Sildaru, father and coach of Kelly Sildaru, is challenging the Harju District Court ruling that found him guilty of misappropriating his daughter's assets, according to ERR News, as cited by Delfi.
The Harju District Court found the 44-year-old Tõnis Sildaru guilty of misappropriating Kelly Sildaru's assets over several years last Tuesday and sentenced him to two years' conditional imprisonment. Sildaru filed an appeal to the court and his defence counsel also announced his intention to file a complaint. Court press officer Siim Saavik told Delfi that the appeal must be filed within 30 days from receipt of the complete written court ruling. The full text of the ruling will become available on 29 June.
Regional prosecutor Leelet Kivioja stated that if a complaint is filed in the case, the proceedings can no longer be terminated on grounds of expediency. This option – used when full proceedings are disproportionate, do not serve significant public interest, or when faster resolution is more efficient from a justice perspective – was offered to Sildaru before the trial, but he refused it.
On 26 May, the court found that Tõnis Sildaru unlawfully misappropriated funds belonging to Kelly Sildaru, which came from her freestyle skiing career. The vast majority of the money was misappropriated when Kelly was a minor, primarily in the years 2014–2019. From the bank account of the now 24-year-old Kelly, Tõnis Sildaru withdrew over 550,000 euros in cash and transferred the greater part – over 400,000 euros – to his own account. According to the charge, the total amount unlawfully misappropriated, including payments made to third parties, amounted to 1.02 million euros.
Kelly Sildaru claimed 211,207 euros in compensation; the court ordered Tõnis Sildaru and the non-profit association Kelly and Henry Sildaru Ski Club to pay this sum. Over 211,000 euros frozen in the ski club's account will remain under arrest until the compensation is paid. Additionally, Tõnis Sildaru must pay court fees, cover Kelly's legal costs amounting to just over 95,000 euros, and bear his own defence costs of over 81,000 euros.
The case began with a long family dispute that became public in 2020. Circumstances of physical violence and threats were also investigated, but these proceedings were later terminated due to insufficient evidence.
Kelly Sildaru reached the top of world freestyle skiing a decade ago, winning the X Games in Aspen, Colorado. At the previous Winter Olympics held in Beijing, she won a bronze medal. Her younger brother Henry Sildaru, 19, won Estonia's only medals at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics held in February – silver in the halfpipe.
Source: ERR News