Chapter 10 — Forfeiture

Section 1 — General prerequisites of forfeiture

(1) A prerequisite for a forfeiture order is an act criminalised by law (offence).

(2) A forfeiture order may be based on an act criminalised by law also

(1) where the perpetrator has not attained the age of fifteen years at the material time, or is without criminal capacity,
(2) where the perpetrator is exempt from criminal liability pursuant to chapter 4, section 2, section 4, subsection 22, section 5, subsection 2, section 6, subsection 3 or chapter 45, section 26b, subsection 2, or (515/2003)
(3) where a corporation may be sentenced to a punishment in accordance with chapter 9 even if the individual committing the offence cannot be identified or for some other reason cannot be sentenced to a punishment.

Section 2 — Forfeiture of the proceeds of crime

(1) The proceeds of crime shall be ordered forfeit to the State. The forfeiture shall be ordered on the perpetrator, a participant or a person on whose behalf or to whose benefit the offence has been committed, where these have benefited from the offence.

(2) If no evidence can be presented as to the amount of the proceeds of crime, or if such evidence can be presented only with difficulty, the proceeds shall be estimated, taking into consideration the nature of the offence, the extent of the criminal activity and the other circumstances.

(3) Forfeiture of the proceeds of crime shall not be ordered in so far as they have been returned to the injured party, or in so far as they have been or will be ordered to be reimbursed to the injured party by way of compensation or restitution. If a claim for compensation or restitution has not been filed or if the claim has still not been decided when the request for forfeiture is being decided, the forfeiture shall be ordered.

Section 3 — Extended forfeiture of the proceeds of crime

(1) Full or partial forfeiture of property to the State may be ordered

(1) on a person who is found guilty of an offence which carries a possible penalty of imprisonment for at least four years, a punishable attempt of such an offence, or an offence referred to in chapter 32, sections 1 or 6, chapter 46, section 4, chapter 50, sections 1 or 4, of this Code, or in section 82 of the Alcohol Act (459/1968), and
(2) on a participant in an offence referred to in paragraph (1) above and on a person on whose behalf or to whose benefit the said offence has been committed,
provided that the nature of the offence is such that it may result in considerable financial proceeds and that there is reason to believe that the property is fully or partially derived from criminal activity that is not to be considered insignificant. (641/2009)

(2) Moreover, full or partial forfeiture of property, referred to in subsection 1, to the State may be ordered

(1) on a person whose relationship to a person referred to in subsection 1 is one covered by section 3, subsection 1 of the Act on the Recovery of Assets to Bankruptcy Estates (758/1991) (close person) and
(2) on a private entrepreneur, a company, another corporation or foundation whose relationship to a person referred to in subsection 1 or a close person of his or hers is one covered by section 3, subsection 2, paragraphs (1) or (2) of the Act on the Recovery of Assets to Bankruptcy Estates, if there is reason to believe that the property has been conveyed to the same in order to avoid forfeiture or liability.

(3) A forfeiture referred to in subsection 2 shall not be ordered if the property has been conveyed more than five years before the commission of the offence referred to in subsection 1.

(4) If the same forfeiture is ordered on two or more persons, their liability is joint and several.

Section 4 — Forfeiture of an instrument of crime

(1) The following instruments shall be ordered forfeit to the State, when used in the commission of an offence :

(1) a firearm, edged weapon or another similar lethal instrument, and
(2) any other object or property the possession of which is punishable.

(2) Also the following may be ordered forfeit to the State :

(1) an object or property that has been used in the commission of an intentional offence, and
(2) an object or property that is closely connected to an intentional offence for which the proceedings have been brought, when it has been obtained or prepared solely or mainly for the intentional offence or where its characteristics make it especially suitable as an instrument of an intentional offence.
(3) In the assessment of the need for forfeiture, special consideration shall be taken of the prevention of further offences.

Section 5 — Forfeiture of certain other property

(1) An object or property which has been produced, manufactured or brought about by way of an offence, or at which an offence has been directed, shall be ordered forfeit to the State if its possession is punishable.

(2) An object or property which has been produced, manufactured or brought about by way of an offence, or at which an offence has been directed, may be ordered fully or partially forfeit, if forfeiture is necessary :

(1) due to the object or property being hazardous to health or the environment,
(2) in order to prevent further offences, where the object or property is especially suitable as a target of an offence or as an instrument of crime,
(3) in order to achieve the objective of provisions or orders pertaining to economic regulation, import or export, or
(4) in order to achieve the objective of provisions or orders for the protection of nature and the environment.

(3) A container, packaging or other material used for the storage of an object or property that is to be ordered forfeit may likewise be ordered forfeit, if the forfeiture of the object or property cannot otherwise be enforced without undue inconvenience.

Section 6 — Restrictions on forfeiture

(1) An object or other property referred to in section 4 or 5 may not be ordered forfeit if it belongs in full or in part to someone else than the offender, a participant or a person on whose behalf or with whose consent the offence has been committed. However, the object or property may be ordered forfeit from a person to whom it has been conveyed after the commission of the offence, if, when receiving it, he or she knew or had justifiable reason to believe that the object or property was linked to an offence, or if he or she has received it as a gift or otherwise free of charge.

(2) Regardless of ownership, an object or property shall be ordered forfeit also if the owner would commit an offence by having the object or property in his or her possession.

Section 7 — Lapse of forfeiture

(1) Upon deciding a request for forfeiture, the court may on the consent of the defendant order that the forfeiture shall lapse if the object or property referred to in section 4 or 5 is altered within a given period as specified in the judgment, or other measures specified in the judgment are carried out thereon, with the result that the forfeiture thus becomes unnecessary.

(2) The bailiff monitors compliance with the specifications in the judgment and decides whether the forfeiture shall lapse. The person subject to the forfeiture may appeal against the decision in accordance with the procedure on appeals in enforcement. For a special reason, the bailiff may extend the period referred to in subsection 1. The Legal Register Centre shall be notified of a lapse of forfeiture.

(3) The person subject to the forfeiture is liable for the costs of alteration and the other enforcement of the judgment.

Section 8 — Forfeiture of value

(1) If an object or property referred to in section 4 or 5 cannot be ordered forfeit owing to a restriction referred to in section 6, subsection 1, or because the object or property has been hidden or is otherwise inaccessible, a full or partial forfeiture of the value of the object or property may be ordered on the offender, a participant or a person on whose behalf or with whose consent the offence has been committed, instead of forfeiture of the object or property itself. In addition, forfeiture of value may be ordered on a person to whom the object or property has been conveyed, if, when receiving it, he or she knew or had justifiable reason to suspect that the object or property was linked to an offence, or if he or she has received it as a gift or otherwise free of charge.

(2) However, forfeiture of value may not be ordered if the person referred to in subsection 1 shows that the object or property has probably been destroyed or consumed.

(3) If the forfeiture of the value of the same object or property is ordered on two or more persons, their liability is joint and several. However, a person on whom forfeiture of value has not been ordered in full, is liable only to the amount mentioned in the judgment.

Section 9 — Request for forfeiture

(1) Forfeiture shall be ordered on the request of a prosecutor or an official referred to in section 3 of the Fine and Summary Penal Fee Act. Also an injured party may request forfeiture when prosecuting charges on his or her own in accordance with chapter 7 of the Criminal Procedure Act (755/2010).

(2) Chapter 1, section 8b, of the Criminal Procedure Act contains provisions on the grounds on which a prosecutor may waive a request for forfeiture. (650/2003)

Section 10 — Adjustment of forfeiture

(1) Forfeiture need not be ordered, if :

(1) the proceeds of crime are, or the value of the object or property is, insignificant,
(2) the punishment of the offender is waived in accordance with chapter 3, section 5, subsection 3 or 4, or another corresponding provision, or
(3) the forfeiture would be unreasonable in view of the nature of the offence and the object or property, the financial standing of the defendant, and the other circumstances.

(2) On the prerequisites referred to in subsection 1, the forfeiture may be ordered on value instead of the object or property, or only a part of the object, property or value. Likewise, a partial forfeiture of the object or property and a partial forfeiture of the value may be ordered. A partial forfeiture of the proceeds of crime may also be ordered.

Section 11 — Miscellaneous provisions

(1) When the forfeiture liability of someone else than the suspect or the defendant is being considered in a pre-trial investigation or in criminal proceedings, the procedural provisions on the suspect or the defendant apply to that person in so far as appropriate.

(2) If compensation or restitution has been paid or ordered to be paid after the issue of the decision referred to in section 2, subsection 3, the forfeiture may be enforced to a correspondingly reduced amount. If the forfeiture has already been enforced, the amount may be ordered to be paid from State funds. An action to this effect shall be brought in the District Court of the plaintiff’s domicile or the District Court of Helsinki within five years from the date when the judgment containing the forfeiture order became final. The State, represented by the Legal Register Centre, is the respondent in such a case.

(3) A person who in good faith has obtained a mortgage, a lien or a right of retention to an object or property referred to in section 4 or 5 and ordered forfeit may foreclose on the same regardless of whether the underlying receivable has become due. An action to this effect shall be brought as provided in subsection 2. Failing this, the mortgage, lien or right of retention expires.