Prosecution office wants to view Latvian ex-minister’s criminal case behind closed doors

The prosecution office wants to request Riga City Vidzeme Suburb Court to the review of the criminal case regarding the now ex-Minister of Health Ilze Viņķele’s negligence in the supply of Covid-19 vaccines behind closed doors.
The prosecution office insists that witnesses invited to testify could disclose information normally reported at closed meetings of the government.
Viņķele and her defence insist to continue viewing the case through open sessions, because the ex-minister «has nothing to hide».
The prosecutor of the Department of Operational Control and International Cooperation of the Prosecution Office, Division for Coordination of the Implementation of the Functions of the Prosecutor General’s Office submitted the criminal case in which Viņķele is presented with official charges in accordance to Part 1 of Section 319 of the Criminal Law.
According to the prosecution, Viņķele, knowing the possible availability of Covid-19 vaccines on the global markets in 2021 and that Latvia, as a European Union member state, supports the agreement reached by member states in regards to the supply of Covid-19 vaccines and procedures related to procurement of said vaccines, had a duty to develop a strategy for Covid-19 vaccination and restriction of the spread of the virus in the country. This strategy was to include procurement of vaccines, logistics, competence of officials involved in the process, as well as supply of other medical resources for the vaccination process.
The prosecution office explains that Viņķele did not develop the aforementioned strategy, thereby failing to perform her duties as state official. This means that she, as a state official, through negligence failed to fulfil official duties to prevent damage of interests protected by the law, causing considerable damages to public interests in the process.
The prosecution office reminds that no person is considered guilty until his or her guilt has been proven in accordance with the procedure listed in the Criminal Procedure Law.
In November 2020, the EU offered its member states to buy in a centralized procurement procedure vaccines against Covid-19 produced by pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNTech. According to a finding by a disciplinary committee of the Latvian Ministry of Health, Latvia was able to apply for buying 841 341 doses, but decided to buy only 97 500.
When this information came to light, Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš requested Viņķele’s resignation. The prosecution office later commenced an investigation. Viņķele is accused of negligence as state official.
Following the internal investigation at the Ministry of Health, the head of State Agency of Medicines of the Republic of Latvia Svens Henkuzens and the now former state secretary of the ministry Daina Mūrmane-Umbraško received a disciplinary penalty.
The latter challenged the reprimand later. The court of first instance declined her application, causing her to submit the appeal to a regional court instead.
Viņķele refused to comment her position on the criminal procedure. She only said she has a status of a person with the right for defence. «I will cooperate with the prosecution office. I said as much when the criminal procedure was first announced. I hope this case will go smoothly and we will reach the truth,» Viņķele said in an interview.