Speeding fine worth INR 36 Lacs!

Who doesn’t want to earn heaps of money and wish to see his name in the list of extravagant riches of the country? Of course not all but many for sure. However in Finland, being one isn’t that great.

How? Here is the answer. Since 1921, some offences that require a non-custodial sentence in the country have been punishable by ‘day-fines,’ which are calculated on the basis an offender’s daily disposable income. So, if you earn millions, then be ready to shell out a hefty amount of fine in case of an offence.

Quite recently, Reima Kuisla, a Finnish millionaire businessman was fined with as many as 54,000 Euros which is approximately INR 36,67,877 for speeding. Kuisla was driving his Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class at 103 km/h in an 80 km/h zone. Therefore, the fine was calculated based on the 6.5m Euros (INR 44,07,59,674) earnings posted on his 2013 tax return. While this fine may seem extortionate to us, it is normal for Finland residents and part of country’s ‘progressive punishment’ that stretches back over nine decades.

Showing his infuriation, Reima Kuisla through his facebook said "Finland is impossible to live in for certain kinds of people who have high incomes and wealth. I'm considering leaving the country."

While Kuisla argues this hefty fine, he is not the first high profile resident of the country to have this kind of levy bestowed on him. In 2000, Teemu Selanne, Finnish ice hockey champion, was fined with an equivalent of €39,000 (INR 26,44,489) for reckless driving, while in 2002, a Nokia executive had paid €116,000 (INR 78,63,155) for speeding on his Harley Davidson motorcycle.