Kauko Juhantalo

Kauko Johannes Juhantalo (born April 28, 1942) is a Finnish politician. A member of the Centre Party, he is member of the Parliament from the electoral district of Satakunta and former Minister of Trade and Industry.

Life

Juhantalo was born and still lives in Kankaanpää, Satakunta. He graduated as Master of Laws in 1972 and worked as a lawyer after that. He was first elected to the Parliament in 1979. In 1991, Juhantalo was appointed Minister of Trade and Industry to Esko Aho's cabinet.

He resigned from the government in 1992 when it was revealed that he had insisted Säästöpankkien Keskus-Osake-Pankki to give him a bank loan so that the government would buy part of the problematic Tampella company owned by the bank. In 1993, Juhantalo was impeached and convicted of insisting a bribe and sentenced to conditional discharge for a year. He was also expelled from the Parliament.

Juhantalo returned to the Parliament at the 1995 election. He failed to win a new term in 1999 but was re-elected in 2003. After a second election defeat in 2007, Juhantalo was once again re-elected in 2015 election. He is currently member of the Finance Committee of the Parliament. In addition, he is serving as the chairman of the city council of Kankaanpää.