Latvia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has found no evidence of unlawful use of state budget funds in connection with the payment for airport VIP lounge services used by former Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (New Unity), the institution announced.
The Prosecutor General’s Office has completed its review into the possible misuse of public funds related to VIP lounge visits at Amsterdam Airport by the former Prime Minister and the former head of the Prime Minister’s Office, Ieva Zīberga.
The review found no unlawful expenditure of state budget funds associated with the payment of VIP lounge services used by Latvia’s highest-ranking state officials during official business trips.
The investigation assessed whether the use of premium airport services by senior state officials during official travel constituted unlawful spending of public funds and whether any individual could be held legally liable. As part of the review, information and documentation were obtained and evaluated from the State Chancellery, the State Audit Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the President.
After examining the applicable legal framework, particularly taking into account security considerations and diplomatic protocol standards, as well as the fact that host countries frequently include enhanced airport services as part of transport and security arrangements for visiting officials, and having established that an assessment of the necessity of such services had been carried out,
the Prosecutor General’s Office concluded that covering the costs of airport VIP services is permissible.
As previously reported, in mid-April the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) announced that it would assess statements made by former State Chancellery Director Jānis Citskovskis regarding the use of VIP lounge services at Amsterdam Airport for the Prime Minister’s travel. Citskovskis had criticised Siliņa for what he described as unjustified use of the facility.
Under an order issued by the Prosecutor General, the review of Siliņa’s use of VIP airport services abroad was conducted by the Prosecutor General’s Office.
Documents obtained by LETA show that the use of the Amsterdam Airport VIP lounge by Siliņa, her adviser and an accompanying security officer during a trip to and from an official visit to the United States in March 2024 cost 4,184 euros, including value-added tax.
The VIP services were used on the 10th of March and the 15th of March, with a single invoice issued for both occasions by the Embassy of Latvia in the Netherlands. The invoice was signed by Latvia’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, Solvita Āboltiņa, and was paid on the 19th of April.
The State Chancellery justified the use of the VIP facilities on the grounds of protocol requirements and security considerations. Of the total amount, more than 3,100 euros related to expenses for the Prime Minister and the head of her office, while the costs associated with the accompanying security officer were covered by the relevant security institution.
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