The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) on April 5 launched criminal proceedings and detained three persons at a Rīga hospital in connection with suspected "abuse of official powers", according to information released by the agency April 15.
Officers of the State Police detained Latvia’s ten most active keepers and distributors of child pornography in a sweeping operation last week, Oļegs Lavcinovskis, head of the State Police’s sex crime division, told journalists April 10.
Responding to the prosecution’s protest, Riga Regional Court last week sentenced businessman Valērijs Vasiļjevs to three years in jail for offering a bribe to the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau's (KNAB) former officer Juris Jurašs (pictured above), the LETA newswire said April 8.
Latvia's border customs officers have become quite accomplished at catching illegal consignments of cigarettes and other contraband coming into the European Union from Russia, but on April 3 they found something else: 28 military daggers hidden in the cab of a truck.
The Internal Security Bureau has detained four officials of the Riga regional department of the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD), including a section commander, in suspicion of fraud and counterfeit of documents, LETA learned from the bureau April 1.
Minister of the Interior Sandis Ģirģens (KPV LV party) has instructed Chief of the State Police Ints Ķuzis to explain whether and how the police intend to responded to allegations circulating in the media about possible corrupt practices and other violations in the Riga municipality company "Rīgas satiksme" and other companies subordinated to Riga City Council, according to the minister's adviser adviser Kārlis Miksons.
Two pensioners were murdered in Talsi Region in western Latvia on Friday, March 22 with the two suspects already arrested, Ilze Jurevica from the State Police told the LETA newswire March 24.
Recent public comments by the Minister of Economy Ralfs Nemiro about alleged involvement of Latvian Investment and Development Agency (LIAA) staff in misuse of European Union funds met with strong criticism from Andris Ozols, the longtime head of LIAA on March 22.
The Latvian Competition Council has discovered that the Rīgas Satiksme municipal public transport company has possibly participated in formation of a cartel in the so-called nanowater case, Competition Council’s representative Paula Vilsone said March 20.
The State Police has detained five persons on suspicion of defrauding €4 million worth of EU funds, it said March 19.
Latvia's State Police have detained five people over possibly laundering more than €627,000, with four kept behind bars during investigation, the police said March 18.
On March 17 a Ukrainian citizen was detained at the Pāternieki border crossing for trying to bribe Border Guard officials, the Border Guard told the press.
Public opinion about the State Police's performance has increased to a record high this year, and a record number of residents said that they felt physically safe as a result, SKDS research agency's director Arnis Kaktiņš told reporters March 13.
Latvia's dedicated anti-graft police force, the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) needs an additional 1.5 million euros this year to fulfill its functions, KNAB Chief Jekabs Straume told members of the press after a Saeima Defense, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee meeting March 12, the LETA newswire reported.
An indictment filed in the United States against Gulnara Karimova, the powerful daughter of former Uzbek President Islam Karimov, on charges of massive corruption, contain numerous references to her use of an unnamed Latvian bank or banks to help launder her ill-gotten gains.
During proceedings at the Rīga Regional Court March 7, the Prosecutor's Office demanded an eight-year prison sentence, with confiscation of property, and a fine in the amount of 150 minimum monthly wages, or €64,500, for Ventspils Mayor Aivars Lembergs who stands accused of a number of serious crimes, as the prosecutor on the case Juris Juriss told LETA.
The Latvian Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) has detained Aleksandrs Brandavs, a member of the Honor to Serve Riga party, a board member of the Rigas Karte company and an official of Rigas Satiksme municipal transport company, on suspicion of bribery.
A new report by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) lays bare yet another multi-million dollar money laundering operation involving Russian money.
Police have identified a man who last weekend blinded a helicopter pilot of the National Armed Forces with a laser beam, LETA was told at the Zemgale regional department of the State Police.
The State Police on February 26 announced they've solved two murder cases from 2000 and 2003. Both of the crimes – which are not related – involved a man who had gone missing. Evidence about them was only discovered in 2017.
Latvian central bank governor Ilmārs Rimšēvičs returned to work February 27, one day after a European court annulled his suspension from his duties pending a corruption probe, reported LTV.
The Rīga City Vidzeme District Court on February 26 ruled to leave Škoda Transportation official Vladislav Kozák, who has been detained in connection with Rigas Satiksme municipal transport company’s corruption case, in custody, LETA learned.
The Court of Justice of the European Union said February 26 it was annulling the decision made by the Latvian authorities to suspend central bank governor Ilmārs Rimšēvičs from his position pending an investigation into allegations he solicited large bribes from banks.
The police have arrested a criminal who had planned to kidnap a bailiff, extort an amount of €350,000 from him and then kill him, the State Police told the press February 19.
Law enforcement officers have averted a kidnapping of a state official, LETA was told at the State Police February 18.
The Rīga City Vidzeme District Court on February 15 received information that the €200,000 bail it had set for the release of Leons Bemhens, the former head of Rīgas Satiksme municipal transport company who has been arrested in connection with an ongoing probe into alleged corruption in the company, has been posted, according to LETA’s sources.
Latvia's dedicated anti-graft force, the Corruption Combating and Prevention Agency (KNAB) is currently working despite a serious lack of manpower, the agency's head, Jēkabs Straume, told Latvian Radio February 14.
Police have taken action in Latvia as well as the United States, Finland and Lithuania to bust an international luxury car scam, according to the Bloomberg newswire.
The Rīga Vidzeme District court has set a €70,000 bail for Edgars Teterovskis, a businessman arrested in a probe over large-scale graft in the Rīgas satiksme municipal transport company, the court told the press February 13.
On February 8 Saeima deputee Juris Jurašs (New Conservative Party) was charged with leaking state secrets, the prosecutor's office said.