On Wednesday, the 27th of September, Riga Regional Court announced its verdict in the so-called Lembergs criminal case – sentencing the chairman of For Latvia and Ventspils political party, ex-Mayor of Ventspils, internationally sanctioned Latvian businessman and politician Aivars Lembergs to four years in prison and confiscation of property.
With this verdict the prison sentence announced for Lembergs by a court of first instance is shortened by one year – by including the time he has already spent under arrest and under house arrest to his total sentence. The prison sentence for his son Anrijs Lembergs is reduced to one year and eleven months and that of [Lembergs’ one-time partner] Ansis Sormulis is reduced to one year and nine months. All three of them are also sentenced to confiscation of property.
The case was viewed by Riga Regional Court judges: chairperson Sandra Amola, Signe Kalniņa and Valdis Vazdiķis. The prosecution was maintained by prosecutor Aivis Zalužinskis.
In this criminal case Ventspils City Council deputy [potentially ex-deputy if the ruling is not appealed] Aivars Lembergs is accused of severe crimes of corruption. His son Anrijs Lembergs is accused of money laundering and supporting unauthorised participation in property transactions. Businessman [and one-time business partner of Aivars Lembergs’] Ansis Sormulis is accused of supporting bribery, money laundering and supporting unauthorised participation in property transactions.
All court hearings were held remotely – using video conference functionality.
Aivars Lembergs listened to the announcement of the verdict online from Kurzeme District Courthouse in Ventspils. Similarly to previous hearings, he had a thermos with him on the table. Lembergs spent most of the time as the verdict was being read flicking his phone, reading news.
During the summer, the accused read his last word over several hearings, arguing in detail, emotionally and freely that the accusations, in his opinion, were unfounded. Anrijs Lembergs and Ansis Sormulis, on the other hand, spent less than an hour each reading their last word.
Riga Regional Court commenced the viewing the appeal on the 1st of February 2022. The ruling of the regional court is subject to appeal through a cassation complaint or protest in the Supreme Court of Law.
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Riga Regional Court as a court of first instance first started viewing this criminal case in February 2009. On the 22nd of February 2021 this court of law sentenced
Aivars Lembergs to a five-year prison sentence,
confiscation of property and a EUR 20 000 fine. The court also ruled that he is required to pay compensation – a total of approximately EUR 64 000 – and cover court-related expenses (EUR 22 180) for state-provided legal aid.
The accused: Aivars Lembergs (left), his some Anrijs Lembergs (centre) and Ansis Sormulis (right) at a hearing of their criminal case at Riga Regional Court in 2009. Photo: Lita Krone/LETAThe time Aivars Lembergs spent under arrest and house arrest between March 2007 and February 2008 was added to his overall sentence. After the announcement of the verdict he was arrested in the court room. He remained in prison until the 25th of February 2022, when he was released on bail for EUR 100 000.
Aivars Lembergs was declared guilty in 19 sections of charges raised against him and not guilty in 21 sections. He was found guilty of bribery, forgery of documents, money laundering, official fraud, unauthorized participation in property transactions, as well as stating false information in declarations. The accused was acquitted of abuse of office and violation of restrictions imposed on a public official.
Anrijs Lembergs was sentenced to two years and one month in prison, as well as confiscation of property. Ansis Sormulis was sentenced to two years in prison and confiscation of property.
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The prosecution office previously reported that the ex-Chairman of Ventspils City Council was accused of extorting 20% of capital shares worth EUR 20 275 in Puses LLC from Valentīns Kokalis and extorting 26 shares worth EUR 14 797 in Mutinord AG from Ainārs Gulbis. Aivars Lembergs was also accused of extorting 12 shares worth EUR 7 359 in Mutinord AG and 30 shares worth EUR 17 672 in Ventk Company Limited from Gulbis.
Aivars Lembergs was also accused of extorting 2 130 capital shares in Lat Transnafta LLC from its membergs: Man-Tess LLC, SWH Riga Zürich AG, Naftas Parks – 100 JSC, Banka Baltija JSC and Vladimirs Krastiņš.
Other criminal charges include document forgery in 1996 and registration of a forged document as chairman of Ventspils City Council in the same year.
Also according to the prosecution, Aivars Lembergs, Ansis Sormulis and Anrijs Lembergs were laundering illegally obtained funds – a total of EUR 6 996 118 – in the period of time between the end of 1999 and July 2006.
Between December 1999 and April 2000, Aivars Lembergs, with the support of his son Anrijs and Sormulis, facilitated and unlawfully participated in the property transaction – namely, ensured income in the form of profit percentages from the Freeport of Ventspils authority, where Aivars Lembergs was Chairman of the Board at that time, for himself Netherfin Financial Services B.V. owned by his children. The material wealth acquired this way reaches no less than EUR 802 413.
Also, during the period from January to March 2003, the Chairman of Ventspils City Council with the support of another person involved initiated and illegally participated in the property transaction – namely, ensured a percentage of the profit for Netherfin Financial Services B.V. from the aforementioned Ventspils Free Port authority. Aivars Lembergs acquired no less than EUR 180 312 from this.
The prosecution also states that between December 1999 and April 2000, Aivars Lembergs abused his position for a selfish purposes and participated in an unauthorized transaction. During the period between January and March 2003, the chairman of Ventspils City Council abused his position for selfish purposes and participated in an unauthorized transaction.
According to the prosecution, Aivars Lembergs as Ventspils City Council deputy and Ventspils Freeport board member performed his duties in a conflict of interest by participating in a total of 330 decision-making procedures during meetings in Ventspils City Council and Ventspils Freeport authority.
Aivars Lembergs was also accused of stating false information in official declarations for nine years in a row, without indicating the ownership of shares in 29 companies registered abroad.
Also read: BNN ANALYSES | Court reschedules hearing because it interfered with Ventspils ex-mayor’s leisure trip