Renārs Kadžulis, the head of the election software provider SOAAR, on the Latvian Television program "What's Happening in Latvia?" on Wednesday, claimed that during the 2014 Saeima elections, Artis Kampars, the then Secretary General of Unity, had urged the head of SOAAR to falsify the election results.
Kadžulis further claimed that he had reported this to the security authorities, but there was no response. Kadžulis told the program, "I reported this several times to the Constitution Protection Bureau (SAB). Do you think something happened? It's like a wall there, just like in the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB)."
However, the SAB has now stated that it has not received any official complaint from Renārs Kadžulis regarding the alleged attempts to falsify the results of the 2014 Saeima elections.
The SAB noted that no such submission had been received from his company SOAAR either. The SAB has also not received any anonymous submissions on the subject, the office noted.
KNAB spokesperson Agita Antonāne said that the KNAB had not received any submissions about a possible incitement to rig the elections, either.
LETA reported later on Thursday that, asked why no submission had been registered with the SAB in this regard, Kadžulis stressed the difference between a submission and a report.
At two different times, he met with a different SAB inspector each time, to whom he told about what had happened, and the SAB inspectors or staff recorded this information in writing, he claimed.
The businessman pointed out that he also knows the names of the two SAB employees, but that he should not reveal them without SAB's permission. Kadžulis has also contacted other institutions than the SAB, which he does not disclose at the moment.
Meanwhile, the 10-year gap between the event he recalled and his appearance on the Latvian Television programme "What's Happening in Latvia?" Kadžulis explains that the appearance in the public media was another opportunity to report on what had happened, as the security authorities had not reacted to the initial reports. The information has now been broadcast live on the public media to give the public and the media an opportunity to react, he said.
On Thursday President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs instructed the Prosecutor General to investigate allegations of interference in the elections.
The Chancellery of the President of Latvia said that the right of every citizen of Latvia to participate in the activities of the state and local governments, including the right to participate in elections, provided for in Article 101 of the Constitution, serves as a guarantee of democratic existence and is aimed at ensuring the legitimacy of the state system.
"Any interference in the conduct of elections is unacceptable in a democratic state governed by the rule of law. Reports of possible electoral irregularities or corruption must be investigated with the utmost diligence," the presidential statement said.
Therefore, following Section 16(2) of the Law on Public Prosecution, the President has requested the Prosecutor General to take the necessary measures and conduct an investigation whether the state security and law enforcement authorities have received any news or information about attempts to influence the results of the 2014 parliamentary elections.
