Latvian Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) requests the prosecution office to commence criminal prosecution of three former and existing Central Election Commission (CVK) employees and one businessman for fraud with CVK budget funds.
According to the statement from KNAB and LETA’s previous report, KNAB acquired sufficient proof of
IT company SOAAR representative had defrauded a large volume of money from CVK budget with help from two existing and one former CVK employee. The criminal activities caused damages worth no less than EUR 149 920 to CVK.
The proof acquired by KNAB indicates that the businessman in question, with support from former chief of CVK Kristīne Bērziņa, may have performed actions to ensure this specific IT technology company receives the rights to provide services related to the provision of municipal elections management system in 2021.
The investigation revealed that the businessman may have included untrue information regarding planned services in procurement documents. This means he received payment from CVK for work that was never actually performed. The CVK employees involved in this, knowing the consequences of illegal activities initiated by the businessman, signed the forged documents.
No facts that would put into question the legitimacy of municipal elections of 2021 were uncovered in the pre-trial investigation.
KNAB commenced the criminal procedure on the 7th of November 2022.
Law enforcers request criminal prosecution of the former chief of CVK for intentional abuse of power that caused severe consequences, supporting large-scale fraud and document forgery. The existing CVK employees are accused of supporting large-scale fraud and document forgery. According to LETA, no security measures were imposed on the two CVK employees.
KNAB also invites the prosecution office to maintain coercive measures imposed on the company involved in criminal acts.
Information available on the website of the Procurement Monitoring Bureau indicates that in June 2021 SOAAR secured a win in the EUR 275 370 worth contract in CVK’s procurement project on the implementation of changes to the election management system, vote-counting system and user support services for the 2021 municipal elections.
In April of the same year, the company secured a contract worth EUR 154 802 on the implementation of changes to the election management system, technical support and user support for the preparation of lists of candidates and ballot papers in the 2021 municipal elections.
The name of SOAAR company was previously mentioned in the context of the criminal procedure investigated by the Internal Security Bureau (IDB).
IDB commenced the criminal procedure in 2022. In February the bureau requested criminal prosecution for two officials of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP), one official of the State Regional Development Agency and one businessman for illegal activities in procurement projects related to the formation of a registry of voters. LTV previously reported that the businessman in question is Renārs Kadžulis.
Also read: Maskavas and several other streets in Riga to be renamed
Follow us on Facebook and X!