Port boss inherited a Maybach luxury car from his fisherman father

Take note – story published 7 years ago

Longtime Riga Freeport chief executive officer Leonids Loginovs holds several ten thousands of euros in cash, owns an impressive car fleet and has received several large donations, Latvian Television's De Facto reported Sunday. Strikingly, he also appears to have inherited a Maybach luxury car from his father.

That's what De Facto learned from Loginovs' official declarations. However, his wife and other relatives who are working at the Freeport or have done so in the past don't have to fill in official declarations, so it's unknown what's the total value of his family property.

According to his declarations, two years ago Loginovs received an inheritance from his father Viktors, an 87-year-old fisherman, with the total value of above €700,000. A Maybach luxury car was among the things he ostensibly received from his deceased father.

However the operations of the Freeport have not been as lucrative during the last two years. In 2015 the number of passengers served at the port decreased to 457,079 from 677,025 in 2014. The volume of freight processed decreased 9.5%.

"Yes, but, well, that one million doesn't say much as there are 40 there and it's nothing worth noting," Loginovs commented the decrease in freight volume.

Loginovs claimed that the criminal proceedings and an accusation brought against him are not of interest, instead turning attention to the row between him and Controller General Elita Krūmiņa. 

The Competition Council is also among the institutions that have uncovered violations in the operations of the Freeport.

"The Freeport board, which had its own tugboat service, as a public institution did everything it could to prevent competitors from entering the market in order to gain a competitive edge for its Rīga Freeport fleet," said Competition Council chairwoman Skaidrīte Ābrama.

The Freeport subsequently went to court over the Council's findings, but lost and had to cease tugboat operations.It also had to pay a fine of €622,363.

However Loginovs again diverted De Facto's questions over the matter with what could only be described as a distasteful ad hominem rant.

"This Ābrama, I think, she pretends that she has received maritime schooling or something.

She starts claiming that the tugboats are used incorrectly, that they're being operated incorrectly. I sometimes think, what for have I learned navigation for ten years, and whether any of them has maritime education," he said.

The State Audit office at one time concluded that the Freeport has paid over a million on fines and court cases related to violations. However the Freeport has also sold a lucrative warehouse in Krievu sala for a million, and it has paid to have work done in the Freeport that should have been carried out by employees of the port.

Loginovs will have to appear in court within a month for the port making potentially illegal donations. 

However Rīga Vice Mayor Andris Ameriks placed full confidence that the donation to the Liepāja Maritime College was lawful, while the payment supporting the victims of the Fukushima earthquake was made by all ports in the world and can't be considered a donation. 

Loginovs enjoys considerable political support. He has beaten away several efforts to unseat him from the highly lucrative position that has made him one of Latvia's richest individuals over the last two decades. Transport Minister Uldis Augulis said to expect for the court decision, while evaluating the performance of Loginovs is the task of the Freeport board.

The board consists of four representatives from the Rīga City Council and four from ministries related to the industry.

It includes Rīga Mayor Nils Ušakovs, Vice Mayor Andris Ameriks and others who receive about €4,000 a month in wages for what is not a full-time job while being the primary source of income for most.

Board members are reluctant to discuss why they have voted for Loginovs to remain at his seat.

However Loginovs himself, when asked how he'd remained in his post for 18 successive years, said: "I don't know. It seems that everyone likes me!"

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