Kiantama CEO convicted human trafficking has rocked Finland’s berry industry after the company’s leader resigned following a prison sentence. Vernu Vasunta, 51, was sentenced by the Lapland District Court to three and a half years in prison and barred from participating in business activities until 2029. His associate, Thai national Kalyakorn Phongphit, 54, received a three-year prison sentence. Both were found guilty of 62 counts of aggravated human trafficking.
Vasunta stepped down from Kiantama’s board and management immediately. He had led the family-owned business since 2001. In an official statement, he said, “Although the verdict is not yet final, I believe it is in the best interest of the company that I step down.”
During the 2022 harvest, Thai berry pickers were misled about earnings and living conditions before arriving in Finland. The court found that once they started working, they faced exploitative conditions that amounted to forced labour.
Each worker harvested between 2,400 and 4,000 kilograms of bilberries and lingonberries over a roughly ten-week period. Despite long hours from early morning to late evening and no days off, most pickers earned only a few hundred euros after deductions.
The deductions covered inflated costs for travel, food, accommodation, and vehicles. Many workers were required to sign debt agreements and guarantees for each other’s travel before arriving. Camp supervisors often collected passports immediately, leaving workers financially and logistically dependent on the company.
Workers were not given accurate information about their right to sell berries independently, meaning they had no 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 cover nearly €279,000 in legal fees and €30,000 in trial costs.
Although the living quarters met official lodging standards, the court described the recruitment and work scheme as deceitful and exploitative. Meals were another issue. Workers were charged €8 per day for cold fish-head soup or chicken offal delivered in buckets to forest work sites, often leaving them hungry.
While the court found no evidence of degrading living conditions, the systematic deception and exploitation of a vulnerable group made the offences aggravated human trafficking.
Legal counsel for Vasunta and Phongphit indicated that appeals are expected. The full verdict exceeds 200 pages and was issued unanimously by a panel of three judges.
This case has intensified scrutiny of Finland’s seasonal labour system and recruitment practices in the berry industry. It underscores the risks faced by migrant workers in remote, unregulated work environments.
