Latvia’s Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureay (KNAB) has taken notice of information that suggests Russian President Vladimir Putin may have paid money to multiple western politicians, including Latvian Saeima deputy candidate Ainārs Šlesers.
KNAB has started studying available information to decide on possible measures, the bureau reports.
In an interview to Youtube channel Solodnikov, the editor to Novaja Gazeta newspaper Dmitrijs Muratovs claimed that
[President of Russia Vladimir] Putin paid multiple western politicians, including Ainārs Šlesers, who was recently elected to the Saeima, EUR 1.5 million to EUR 2 million annually.
«When Russia’s President Vladimir Putin laughs at western values, I understand why he does it. He knows the price of these values. Multiple western politicians work for him,» claimed Murators, adding that every of war in Ukraine costs Russia EUR 500 million, and this is the amount Europe pays Russia for energy resources.
According to Muratovs, Russian state company Rosneft hired influential western politician with Putin’s blessing.
Among the politicians allegedly on Putin’s payroll are Austria’s former Ministry of Foreign Affairs Karin Kneissl, whose wedding Putin attended, Finland’s former PM Esko Tapani Aho, Austria’s former Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel, as well as Latvia’s former Minister of Transport Ainārs Šlesers.
Information regarding Šlesers’ possible ties to Russia had surfaced in February 2022, when Novaja Gazeta published a study of Russian public associations and their ties with foreign politicians. In it there was a list with 14 names, and among them was Latvia’s former Minister of Transport Ainārs Šlesers.