Helsinki deputy mayor caught spraying graffiti

Paavo Arhinmaki. Pic/AP

A deputy mayor of Finland's capital is facing possible legal action, and calls for him to pay compensation for damages and to resign, after he was caught red-handed spray-painting graffiti in a railway tunnel last weekend.

The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency told public broadcaster YLE on Wednesday that cleaning up graffiti illegally painted by Paavo Arhinmäki, one of the four deputy mayors of Helsinki, cost the city around 3,500 euros ($3,830).

Arhinmaki, 46, and a friend were caught by guards in a rail tunnel in eastern Helsinki on Friday just after they had completed the graffiti, which Finnish street art experts said looked partly inspired by works seen in New York City in the 1970s.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Arhinmäki, who is known as a strong supporter of street art and as a creator of graffiti in his youth, apologized for his "stupid fooling around." He is a former lawmaker and chairman of the Left Alliance, and served as a minister for culture and sports in 2011-2014.

Police are investigating the act as vandalism and interference with rail traffic, which had to be temporarily halted because of the incident.

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