Art-loving Helsinki deputy mayor caught graffitiing the city

By Amy Woodyatt, CNN

(CNN) — A deputy mayor in Helsinki is facing possible legal action after being caught spray-painting graffiti with a friend.

Paavo Arhinmäki, deputy mayor responsible for culture and leisure in the Finnish capital, issued a statement Saturday admitting that he and a friend had been caught by security guards after painting inside a train tunnel leading to the city’s Vuosaari harbor.

In the post, Arhinmäki apologized for “this stupid foolishness of mine. I’m asking for forgiveness,” adding that he and his friend had long been inspired by the graffiti adorning the walls of Pasila, a district renowned for its urban art.

It cost the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency €3,500 ($3,800) to clean the graffiti from a concrete slab inside the tunnel, a spokesperson for the agency told CNN over email.

“Now there is still on-going police investigation for legal action and its consequences,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “The costs of cleaning up are collected from the perpetrators after the police investigation is done,” they added.

Meanwhile, Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat published a photo of the graffiti and tweeted about the incident.

CNN has reached out to Arhinmäki and Eastern Uusimaa Police Department for further comment.

The-CNN-Wire
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