The Simon Wiesenthal Center on Sunday strongly criticized Estonia's state prosecution for dropping its investigation of a man who it claims is directly responsible for the murder of at least 100 Jews during World War Two.

Harry Mannil, 84, an Estonian citizen living in Caracas, Venezuela, allegedly committed the war crimes back when he was an officer in Estonia's political police in 1941.

The Center has been trying to facilitate his prosecution since his whereabouts were discovered in 1992 following information obtained from his superior, Evald Mikson.

Estonia's State Prosecutor, Heino Tonismagi, last week reportedly accused the Wiesenthal Center of targeting Mannil because he was "one of the most outstanding Estonians," and absolved the Estonian authorities of any crimes since the country was occupied at the time.

The Center's Chief Nazi-hunter, Israel director Dr. Efraim Zuroff, said in response that since its independence 15 years ago, Estonia has not convicted any of its citizens charged with war crimes.

Zuroff called the Estonian investigation of Mannil "a pathetic whitewash for political reasons of an active Nazi collaborator who thanks to the ineptitude and/or corruption of the Estonian prosecution will apparently never be held accountable for his crimes."

Ha-Aretz, 2.01.06