The Prosecution Office for Investigation of Public Office Holders Misconduct Offences has raised charges against four official of the Provision State Agency and one businessman for possible illegalities committed in the procurement procedure organised for the acquisition of a temporary fence on the Latvian-Belarusian border.
Criminal prosecution was requested by the Internal Security Bureau at the end of June.
NVA accuses officials of supporting large-scale fraud and abuse of power. The businessman is accused of large-scale fraud, the prosecution office reports.
Because the pre-trial investigation continues, the prosecution office provides no more comments.
IDB has submitted a total of six criminal procedures related to illegalities committed in relation to the installation of eastern border infrastructure. A large number of officials, businessmen and private persons are involved.
As previously reported, at the end of November 2021 Latvia completed the installation of a temporary barbed wire fence on the Latvian-Belarusian border.
Installation of the fence started last autumn. The fence now follows nearly 37 km along the border.
At the end of last year, as assessment of the fenced territory revealed possible errors with measurements, which possibly breach the country’s borders.
Repeated measurements resulted in approximately 2.7 km of the fence being declared inappropriate. The decision was made to relocate those sections.
The sections in question were not commissioned, and the business responsible for supplies and installation was asked to perform new measurements and relocate the fence.
The construction company did this. The fence was moved within Latvia’s territory by about half a metre.
A permanent fence on the Latvian-Belarusian border will be installed in three stages by the end of 2022 and in six stages by spring 2023. However, terms and costs will be affected by the progress with deforestation. Related infrastructure will be built within six stages by spring 2023 and in three stages by autumn 2023.
It was reported that NVA’s organised procurement of barbed wire fence was done in the form of price survey. Seven businesses submitted offers. Brief company won in the barbed wire fence procurement.
However, in September last year NVA decided to terminate partnership with Brief. Later in September the agency signed new contracts for the installation of a new temporary fence on the Latvian-Belarusian border with Aimasa LLC.