This week Saeima deputy Glorija Grevcova, who was found guilty of lying to the Central Election Commission by a court of first instance, has left the party For Stability and its Saeima faction, as confirmed by the deputy.
For Stability Saeima faction leader Aleksejs Rosļikovs previously said this decision was made by Grevcova after the court ruling that sentenced her to 160 hours of community service.
Grevcova, on the other hand, told LETA that her decision to leave is not related to the ruling. She said it was an «independent and weighed decision».
She also said she has no plans to return to the party or the faction even if she is acquitted in the final ruling.
She said she will continue voting in the Saeima in accordance with her personal beliefs and how the situation will influence residents’ welfare.
At the same time, Grevcova posted a video on TikTok in which she blames someone else for using her CV after submitting information to Rosļikovs. «I have worked as an ordinary firewood stacker and I have secondary education, which I had stated in my application to the Central Election Commission, which I had sent it to my list leader [Rosļikovs]. But in some weird way the information was changed. I don’t want to and I refuse to take responsibility for another person’s actions,» she said in her TikTok video.
This makes Grevcova the first independent deputy in the 14th Saeima. Now For Stability faction has ten deputies in the Saeima.
As previously reported, on the 7th of October 2022, Latvian State Police commenced a criminal procedure in accordance with Section 272 of the Criminal Law – submission of false information to the Central Election Commission. The prosecution office later presented charges to Grevcova. The case revolves around submission of untrue information to the Central Election Commission in regards to Grevcova’s previous place of work and education.
The accused does not admit her guilt and plans to challenge the ruling.
Despite the charges and the guilty verdict of the court of first instance, Grevcova can still continue working as Saeima deputy. The Saeima Rules of Order state that a deputy found guilty of a crime is considered expelled from the Saeima from the day the guilty verdict comes into force. Grevcova still has the right to fight for her innocence in two higher court instances.