Politicians from the political party Attīstībai/Par! May be involved in the criminal case investigated by Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) regarding fabrication of charges and attempt to extort a EUR 100 000 bribe from Stiga RM owner Andris Ramoliņš, according to the victim.
When asked by TV3 News if the criminal group could have ties to any politicians from Attīstībai/Par!, Ramoliņš said: «There may be a link, yes.»
He did not mention any names, saying that he signed a non-disclosure agreement.
TV3 programme Nekā personīga showed footage of Attīstībai/Par! politicians Edgars Jaunups when reporting on this case. At the same time, the programme also didn’t mention any names.
Jaunups claimed in a conversation with LETA that he has no involvement whatsoever with this case and that he is not acquainted with any of the people mentioned in it.
According to reports, the criminal group also included officials from the State Revenue Service (VID) and customs police.
It was also reported that in August KNAB performed criminal proceedings at multiple locations, including VID. These activities were part of a criminal case regarding possible bribery by a group following a prior agreement. Three persons were detained and two of them have rights for defence.
KNAB did not report any additional information about this case, but information from LETA indicates that chief of an office of VID Tax and Customs Police Intars Štālbergs was arrested. TV3 reports that he and the other person put under arrest appealed the security measures, but the court refused the change the security measure.
Ramoliņš’s company Stiga RM managed to significantly increase turnover last year – from EUR 24 million in 2020 to EUR 43 million in 2021, according to information from Firmas.lv. The company’s profits increased as well – from almost EUR 2 million to EUR 9.4 million in 2021.
Nekā personīga reported that in autumn 2021 the businessman received word that authorities were planning an ordered criminal case. Several months later Ramoliņš was investigated by a Tax and Customs Police investigator, who informed him that criminal proceedings had commenced against companies owned by his family members.
«They listed all conditions – arresting everything owned by us not as legal, but as private persons. I would also be detained for 48 hours, at least. On top of that, everything would be leaked to the press to ensure completion of the order is complete. The biggest emphasis was on maximum publicity, because this would hurt us as businessmen,» Ramoliņš said.
VID official made an offer to the businessman – ha can pay, reach an agreement on the detainment and search period and prepare for them. EUR 100 000 was requested.
The businessman had no doubt that what VID official told him would happen, since the police had collected information not publicly available, such as construction a new factory, loan operations at commercial banks, as well as planned state guarantees. The businessman was also told certain details about other criminal cases the Tax and Customs Police had in development and only the people who investigated them could have.
The businessman agreed to continue VID officials. He reported the money request to KNAB. Bribe extortionists requested the businessman to buy two new phones and that those phones were to be used only to communicate with them. The phones were to be kept in flight mode and to be switched on only at certain times. He was to come to meet with those officials alone. He was searched every time. One and the same person came to meet with him, bu the businessman had no doubts the group consisted of multiple officials of the Tax and Customs Police.
Meetings were organised at different places and times. For example, one meeting took place at a cemetery. There were meetings during which no one spoke – all demands from VID officials were typed on a PC screen.
The businessman agreed to pay the money in parts. In reality he was stalling. This was possible because each step needed to be coordinated with all members of the criminal group.
The fabricated criminal procedure was hidden from supervisory institutions, as reported by Nekā personīga.
According to information available to the programme, VID employee Inita Lūre, who has worked at Finance Police since 2005, is among the officials detained by authorities.
The Office of the Prosecutor has confirmed there was a fabricated criminal procedure launched against companies owned by Ramoliņš’s family. The prosecutor dismissed the Tax and Customs Police investigator responsible two months later.