Protest demands resignation of prosecutor general

Take note – story published 6 years ago

Around 100 people gathered in Riga July 13 to demand the resignation of Prosecutor General Eriks Kalnmeiers for perceived inaction on the so-called "oligarch conversations" case.

The picket took place outside Kalnmeiers' office which is located directly opposite the Ridzene Hotel - where Latvia's oligarchs were secretly recorded discussing how to divide power and business between themselves over a period of several years from 2007.

Though the existence of the recordings was long suspected, it has taken the intervening years for them to surface in redacted form in the news weekly Ir, causing widespread outrage for the cynicism and venality of the participants, led by Aivars Lembergs, Andris Skele and Ainars Slesers, but with cameo appearances by serving ministers including Agriculture Minsiter Janis Duklavs and Transport Minister Uldis Augulis.

Participants in the July 13 demonstration criticised Kalnmeiers' failure to take action and caled for the dismissal of Duklavs in particular who only last week was deputising for Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis while the latter was out of the country. 

Protesters signed a mocked-up 'resignation letter' to the Saeima from Kalnmeiers as a means of urging him to hand in something similar.

 
A second protest is planned later in the day outside Riga castle to urge President Vejonis to take a harder line on those implicated in the oligarch conversations.
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