4.  The applicant was born in 1980 and lives in Lapua. 5.  After a request made by a complainant on 8 January 2002 the police started to investigate the applicant's alleged involvement in aggravated fraud and aggravated embezzlement which had taken place in 2001. The applicant was questioned for the first time by the police on 22 June 2003. The pre-trial investigation was concluded on 27 August 2003 and the case file was submitted to the public prosecutor on 16 April 2004. 6.  On 16 July 2004 the public prosecutor brought charges against the applicant for aggravated fraud and aggravated embezzlement. On the same date the case became pending before the Lahti District Court (käräjäoikeus, tingsrätten). 7.  The date of the initial oral hearing in respect of the applicant was set for 9 September 2004 but he could not be heard as all witnesses could not be summoned. 8.  On 29 November 2004 the applicant gave a written statement in the case. 9.  Other hearings were also planned, for example for 7 December 2004, 12 December 2005 and 8 May 2006, but they were all eventually either cancelled or the applicant could not be heard for other reasons. 10.  The hearing of the applicant's case was dependent on the proceedings against M.T., who was the co-defendant in both of the two counts of indictment concerning the applicant. The domestic authorities tried to summon the applicant's co-defendants including M.T. and the relevant witnesses on various occasions but these efforts remained unsuccessful. An order for M.T.'s apprehension was issued but annulled on 7 March 2006. 11.  T.L., a witness whose hearing was considered indispensable with regard to all counts of indictment against the applicant, was present at the hearings of 23 August 2004 and 7 December 2004 as far as the counts of indictment against him were concerned but he could not be reached for hearing as a witness in the applicant's case. While waiting for the clarification of T.L.'s whereabouts, the District Court decided to stay proceedings from 8 May 2005 to 16 June 2009. As T.L. could not be reached for trial in Finland, a European Arrest Warrant was issued for his apprehension on 11 November 2007. He was surrendered to Finland on an unspecified date. 12.  On an unspecified date the District Court decided to sever the applicant's case from that of his co-defendants. 13.  On 27 May 2009 the District Court issued a summons to be served to the applicant who was to appear for an oral hearing on 16 June 2009. The hearing was cancelled as the applicant could not be summoned at his place of residence. 14.  From 31 July 2009 onwards the applicant was serving a prison sentence. While in prison, the applicant was summoned to the oral hearing held on 27 October 2009. 15.  On 3 November 2009 the District Court dismissed all charges against the applicant. As the judgment was not appealed against, it became final.