The Internal Security Bureau (IDB) requests prosecution for two officials of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP), one official of the National Regional Development Agency and some businessman for illegalities committed in procurements of local online voter registers, IDB reports.
Information from IDB indicates that the company “SOAAR” had won in the electronic online voter register procurements organised by PMLP.
In this case officials are accused of abuse of official power and supporting fraud, and the businessman is accused of large-scale fraud and supporting abuse of official power. The case was sent to the Office of the Prosecutor of the Investigation of Criminal Offences in the Service of State Institutions.
IDB found that the officials in question had abused their official power in procurements related to the development of the voter register and supported the interests of a specific businessman, which resulted in damages worth more than EUR 520 000 to the state.
At the same time, a procedure was initiated to impose a coercive measure to the company that carried out the development and operation of the electronic online voter register.
Both PMLP officials were presented with security measures that do not involve deprivation of freedom.
As previously reported, IDB commenced the criminal procedure in 2022 after performing a search in the offices of PMLP.
The name “SOAAR” was previously mentioned in a criminal procedure investigated by the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) regarding the procurement organised by the Central Election Commission (CVK) for the maintenance of its IT system.
This criminal procedure concerns crimes related to the procurement organised by CVK in 2021. On the 7th of November 2022 KNAB commenced criminal proceedings on suspicion of possible large-scale fraud, abuse of official power that caused severe consequences, as well as actions in support of these criminal acts and document forgery.
Information available on the website of IDB indicates that “SOAAR” won in the 2021 procurement organised by PMLP to ensure operations of the electronic online voter register for elections in Varakļāni and Rēzekne. The contract was signed for EUR 41 440.
In 2020 the company was given the procurement worth EUR 227 943 for the development of an electronic online voter register information system for PMLP.
Information from Firmas.lv indicates that “SOAAR” is owned equally by Renārs Kadžulis and Leonards Survilo. They are also the company’s board members. In 2020 the company’s turnover was EUR 1.12 million. Profits reached EUR 675 000. No data is available for previous years.
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