At the meeting of the company’s council convened on Monday, September 28, the information broadcast on the Latvian Television program “De facto” about the investigation started in 2018 and completed in August this year was assessed, in which the initial information indicated possible illegal actions of several persons, including Žīgura. and the participation of Māris Kuņicks, a former member of the Board of Latvenergo, and expressed in informal talks in 2015.
–
Golsts pointed out that the council decided to start an examination of the “De facto” information presented in connection with the Group’s officials and events in 2015, as well as the circulation of information about what was covered in the story.
–
The task of the internal audit and external specialists subordinated to the Supervisory Board of Latvenergo will be to check the information on the procurements and other transactions performed by the Group in previous years.
–
To ensure the neutrality of the verification process, Žīgurs will go on annual leave until October 30. During this time, the duties of Latvenergo’s Executive Director will be performed by Commercial Director Uldis Bariss.
–
It has already been reported that according to the decision of the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB), the composition of a criminal offense has not been established during the pre-trial investigation, because according to the KNAB, the offense did not occur. KNAB has evaluated what was said in the so – called “Butterfly” sauna talks.
–
At the same time, Latvenergo representatives on Monday, September 28, pointed out that the company’s council had not been informed about the fact of initiating and investigating criminal proceedings until now.
–
“De facto” reported that Žigurs and Kunickis were Martinson’s interlocutors. In 2015, they discussed both the planned changes in the composition of the Board of Latvenergo and the Group’s purchases. It was also about Martinson’s plans to “meet Dan” in Italy, which needs to “boldly” in connection with the Latvenergo board competition. KNAB then interrogated former Economy Minister Dan Reizniece-Ozola (ZZS), “but the office failed to prove Martinson’s payments to her or Latvenergo officials.”
–
Žīgurs and Kunickis were appointed to the Board of Latvenergo in autumn 2010 – shortly after the company’s President Kārlis Miķelsons and Vice President Aigars Melko lost their positions due to a corruption scandal. Žīgurs and Kuņickis were selected in a competition led by the then State Secretary of the Ministry of Economics Juris Pūce (AP). Kunickis has been working for the Ukrainian energy concern DTEK since the end of 2018, but Žīgurs still manages Latvenergo.
–
In the autumn of 2015, the first term of office of Žīgurs and Kuņicks on the Board of Latvenergo was to end. Changes in the boards of Latvenergo and its subsidiary Sadales tīkls were one of the topics discussed in the butterfly bath in the summer of that year.
–
The decision to close the criminal proceedings describes two negotiations. The first is that on March 12, 2015, Latvenergo’s board members Žīgurs and Kunickis and Martinsons talked about changing the members of Sadales tīkls’ board, “because the current board cannot provide favorable results (possibly for Martinson-related companies). tenders and procurements “.
–
All three negotiators had the appropriate status of “person against whom criminal proceedings have been instituted”.
–
The decision to close the case describes another meeting: “On July 9, 2015, Žīgurs and Kunickis talked to Martinsons about the powers of Žīgurs and Kuņiks at Latvenergo. In the conversation, Martinsons stated that he and Dan ) will travel to Italy and pronounce everything, while Žīgurs said that maybe she should give her the courage, to which Martinson replied that he would do it, for every fifty (probably 50,000 euros). he will meet in Italy on 15 and 16 August. “
–
KNAB found that both Reizniece-Ozola and Martinson were indeed located near Milan, Italy from 13 to 16 August 2015. However, the KNAB did not obtain any other information showing that the two met in Italy. The politician herself testified that she had not had any kind of meeting with Martinsons in Italy, nor had Martinsons tried to meet her in Latvia or elsewhere, no one had addressed her in any way to have such a meeting.
–
According to the program, in September 2015 the competition was announced for one vacant position of the board member of Latvenergo, but two new board members were selected in the competition – Guntars Baččūns and Guntis Stafeckis, whom Martinsons mentioned as a loyal person in the “Taureņi” sauna. Žīgurs, Kuņickis and Bariss were re-approved by the Board of Latvenergo for the next term. Arnis Kurgs, who was not pleased with Martinson, did not continue his work on the Board, but retained the position of Latvenergo’s Administrative Director.
— .
