With Mayor of Riga interrupting the meeting on Wednesday, the 28th of June, Riga City Council was unable to make the decision on the composition of an investigative committee to look into the possible violations committed in the Transport Department.
Staķis referenced an agreement of the faction, in accordance with which meetings are not go past 21:00.
Although deputies requested the meeting to be extended, Staķis refused and announced it would continue at 14:00 on Thursday.
During the discussion of this topic coalition partners New Unity (JV) and Par/Progressive (PP) accused each other of various wrongdoings.
During the vote on the addition of this topic to the day’s agenda, PP faction leader Mārtiņš Kossovičs said JV deputies threaten the people who investigate possible violations and attempt to delay the investigation.
He accused JV of political ambivalence.
Vice-mayor Vilnis Ķirsis, on the other hand, accused PP of non-compliance with laws and internal regulations.
PP deputy Zane Pūpola said JV deputies behave like they are in a kindergarten. At the same time, the head of the Social Affairs Committee Viesturs Kleinbergs took with him a bowl with cherries, which he ate during the meeting.
Deputies participating in the meeting used various means to slow the meeting.
Previously it was reported that city council received the suggestion for the creation of an investigative committee from New Unity. This caused a discord within the city council’s coalition. On Wednesday Kods Riga deputies invited coalition partners to participate in mediation talks to preserve the coalition.
The legislative draft asks Riga City executive director to replace the investigator of the disciplinary case Māris Knoks with a Disciplinary Review Committee.
This committee is planned to be composed of officials from Riga City Council’s Central Administration.
To ensure transparency of the process, it is planned to assign supervisors from the Ministry of Transport, Society for Openness – Delna, Latvian Union of Civil Engineers and Riga Neighbourhoods Alliance.
JV Riga City Council faction turns attention towards the fact that if the inspection is entrusted to workers of Riga City Council executive director Jānis Lange, there is a risk of a conflict of interest. JV faction representatives explain that one official dismissed from the Transport Department in April 2023, in accordance with an order from the Executive Director, was assigned to carry out road and access road pavement restoration works within the framework of road maintenance agreements, which were declared economically disadvantageous by another order of the Executive Director issued in June this year, which is what caused the initiation of disciplinary proceedings.
According to authors of the legislative draft, the violations mentioned in the disciplinary act against officials of the Transport Department are serious and voluminous. This is why they invite compliance with Law On Disciplinary Liability of State Civil Servants and Riga City Council’s internal rules, which require complicated cases to be viewed by an independent committee.
This would ensure officials’ responsibility is not reviewed in a one-sided manner and that no officials whose action or inaction are not involved in the investigation or are able to influence the process.
On the 16th of June, Riga City Executive Director Jānis Lange issued an order to suspend acting director of the Transport Department Jānis Vaivods and the Chief of Transport Infrastructure Office Andrejs Urtāns.
The two officials were suspended after a whistle-blower reported information regarding possible violations in the department. Inspections within the city council commenced soon after this. During the investigation officials uncovered serious violations that indicate illegal and wasteful actions of the department in regards to street asphalt pavement restoration projects.
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