Latvian court ready to release Ventspils ex-mayor from detention on EUR 100 000 bail

In Latvia, the Riga District Court ruled to satisfy the request of the lawyer of Aivars Lembergs, the ex-mayor of port city Ventspils, who is a defendant, charged with corrupt dealings, to change his security measure – detention – on the bail of EUR 100 000.
The court made the decision on Tuesday, February 22, when the notorious politician had spent a year behind bars.
Now, in one-month’s time, Lembergs or another person will have to pay the security deposit within one month. If the security deposit is paid, Lembergs will also be barred from holding the position of mayor of Ventspils.
In 2021, Lembergs was detained as a measure of keeping him from affecting the legal proceedings due to the danger he posed. On February 22, 2022, the Riga District Court, as the first court instance in the case, sentenced the then chairman of Ventspils City Council to five years in prison, confiscation of property and a fine of 20,000 euros.
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After the ruling, Lembergs was arrested in courtroom because the court decided to lift the security measures in force until the verdict would be delivered. However, the court decided to take into account Lembergs’ time of detention and time spent under house arrest in 2007 and 2008. The politician was in detention and under house arrest from March 14, 2007 until February 22, 2008.
The court of first instance also ruled that Lembergs had to pay the victims a total of approximately EUR 64 000. The court also decided to recover from Lembergs the costs of the proceedings in the amount of EUR 22 180 for state-provided legal aid.
The former long-time mayor of Ventspils was found guilty in 19 counts and acquitted in 21 counts of the charges brought against him.
Lembergs was found guilty of bribery, forgery of documents, money laundering, forgery at an official position, unauthorized participation in property transactions, as well as providing false information in financial statements.
However, he was acquitted of abuse of office and violation of restrictions imposed on a public official.