The Rezekne town court sentenced Viktors Balabolins to 180 hours of community service and Aleksandrs Balabolins to 160 hours of community service, BNS was told at the court. The accused have ten days to appeal against the verdict.
According to LSM's Latvian-language service, Viktors Balabolins had told his brother Aleksandrs that he would pay him €15 if he voted for Dzintars Zakis, a long-standing member of the Unity party. Viktors also encouraged Aleksandrs to look for others who might be willing to accept payment for voting in favor of Zakis. Aleksandrs found two more people who agreed and paid each €10.
This is the second trial related to vote-buying in favor of Zakis that has been brought to a completion.
Previously the court in Rezekne sentenced Jevgenijs Brovcenko to 100 hours of community service. Brovcenko admitted he had talked three voters into voting for Zakis, paying each €10.
On November 27, the Rezekne court will start hearing another criminal case in which two individuals have been charged with vote-buying in the 2014 general election.
