The State Security Service (VDD) has denied one municipal official access to official secrets. VDD has also issued short-term permits to eight other officials. VDD explains that the institution has evaluated all applications, the municipal executive director and his deputies for compliance with requirements to access official secrets.
As a result of the assessment, the service made the decision to refuse a special permit in relation to the identified risks to the security of the protected information. The service also issued special permits to eight leading local government officials for a shortened term – one, two or three years instead of a maximum of five years, the service reported.
Special permits were issued for a shortened term in connection with identified risk factors, which, within the interpretation of the law “Law on Official Secret”, are not yet sufficient grounds for refusing a permit. At the same time, the VDD will continue to pay increased attention to the activities of these individuals.
As previously reported, on the 1st of June 2024, the requirement came into force for municipal executive directors and deputy executive directors to send a request to the competent national security authority within one month regarding the granting of a special permit for access to official secrets.
In relation to municipal executive directors or deputy executive directors, a mandatory obligation to obtain an admission to official secrets is now in force. If they do not have one, the official must be removed from office.
At the same time, the Saeima has adopted amendments to the Law on Local Governments, which, after the next municipal elections, will impose an obligation on local governments to have their leaders apply for access to official secrets.
The adopted amendments to the Law on Local Governments stipulate that no later than within one month after the election of the Chairperson of the council or the Vice-Chairperson of the Council, the municipality will have to send a request to the competent state security authority in accordance with the procedure laid down in in the law regarding the granting of a special permit for access to official secrets.
The new procedure for local government leaders and their deputies will come into force after the next regular or snap municipal elections. Therefore, in most municipalities, this procedure could come into force after municipal elections this summer.