At least 40 criminal proceedings have been initiated in connection with farming in Riga in the last decade, there are convictions

The information gathered and updated by LTV “de facto” shows that out of the mentioned 40 criminal proceedings initiated since 2011, the final judgment has already been read in eight cases and the conviction has entered into force.

Another 16 criminal cases are heard in courts in various instances. But investigations are ongoing in 11 criminal proceedings. These processes are in the records of both the KNAB and the police.

In turn, eight criminal proceedings have been terminated, including due to lack of evidence.

One of the structures where there have been relatively many scandals is the Riga Central Market. In recent years, at least five criminal proceedings have been initiated here, and three of them have been accused of the former market leader, Anatoly Abramov, who is close to the “Harmony” party.

First, in 2015 – Abramov was caught taking a bribe in the form of a fuel card from a company that frees the market from rodents and insects. In this case, a conviction came into force this year – a fine of 13,300 euros and a ban on holding positions in state and local government institutions for two years.

A year later, KNAB took Abramov for the second time: with cash, in the market area – on suspicion of extorting bribes from a market tenant – 8,800 euros were received in four walks. According to the prosecutor’s office, the money was taken so that “there would be no trouble”. As Viktorija Šumska, the prosecutor of the Riga Court District Prosecutor’s Office, pointed out: in fact, according to all the provisions of the agreement, “Rīgas Centrāltirgus” was entitled to terminate this agreement very simply. For example, by clinging to some details, as is usually the case. And in order for “Rīgas Centrāltirgus” not to use such an opportunity, peace and the opportunity to continue operations were also demanded, actually extorted, its money and also received. “This case is currently under trial.

The third thing is just as far away. Abramovs sat on the court bench together with Vitalijs Litvinas, the former head of the Riga Central Market Trade Organization Department. He was a member of the “Harmony” at the time, but denies that he got the job because of his party affiliation. Abramov and Litvin have been accused of large-scale embezzlement and use of official position by taking money from traders who had not subscribed to the market. This was done together with three night market supervisors.

The fourth criminal case, also at the trial stage, is against Litvin alone. According to the accusation, in 2014 and 15, Litvins demanded a bribe of 50 euros per month from traders in order to grant a leased outlet in the night market.

Last year, the program “Forbidden Method”, infiltrating a criminal group, revealed large-scale schemes for the sale of illegal cigarettes in the Central Market – an area that has been leased to SIA “Tirdzniecības nams Latgales priekpilsētas” for a long time. The investigation launched by the police is ongoing. 12 people have the right to defend themselves in the case. The police do not provide further information about the investigation. But points out that it, together with municipal police and market guards, continues to conduct regular patrols to combat the illegal trade in cigarettes and alcohol. Immediately after the searches and arrests, the market huts on the station side were also found to be illegal. Only then had no one noticed. The construction board and the city management exchanged accusations about this.

At least five investigations in recent years have also been related to the Housing and Environment Department of the Riga City Council.

A suppressor of a mobile phone zone was found in the office of the director of the department Anatoly Alexeyenko, and a court fined him two thousand euros for unauthorized use of such a device. The judgment came into force three years ago. (March 2017).

The device was found during a criminal investigation into possible bribery in connection with the involvement of a Russian investor in the construction of a columbarium. According to KNAB’s records, as is currently being tried in another case, Ārija Stabiņa, the former head of the Housing Department of the RD Housing and Environment Department, is discussing with the investor’s representative what the benefits of the deal would be for politicians. In the end, the bribery transaction did not take place, but the KNAB terminated the criminal proceedings because it was not possible to gather additional evidence against Alexeyenko and Stabiņš.

At about the same time, Stabiņa was detained on suspicion that in exchange for payment he had helped a number of people bypass the row of municipal rental apartments. After several years of fleeing, Stabiņa was captured in Egypt, but the charges are still being tried.

Four years ago, Jānis Upītis, the head of the Cemetery Department of the Housing and Environment Department, was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for demanding a bribe of 13 thousand euros for the extension of the lease agreement. In another criminal case, one of his subordinates, who sold a better graveyard for 70 euros, was punished by forced labor.

The lawsuit in the last instance is still ongoing against the former management of the Freeport of Riga Authority – Leonid Loginov and Aigars Pechak, who have also enjoyed the support of Riga’s political power for many years. They are accused of abuse of office by making donations and paying bonuses. The court has fined Loginov EUR 38,700 and Pechak EUR 32,250, temporarily barring both from holding senior positions in state and local government bodies (the judgment has not yet entered into force). In parallel, the police are continuing another investigation launched in 2016 into whether the port has not suffered more than one million euros in losses due to the inaction of the port infrastructure on the Russian Island, and there have been no other violations.

But due to lack of evidence, the KNAB closed a criminal case in the summer of 2019, in which Vitalijs Reinbahs, the head of the Traffic Department, and Raimonds Gailis, the former head of the Trade Union and the head of the trade union LABA, were suspected of taking bribes from passenger carriers by transferring part of the money to a trade union account.

But the cassation instance is considering a case against the former head of “Rīgas Namu” Kārlis Kavacs, who in 2012 was caught illegally disposing of the company’s financial resources – 1.7 million euros, investing them in currency operations.