Ventspils municipality’s opposition politicians – Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis and Dace Korna, as well as former deputies Aivis Landmanis and Ivars Landmanis – released a statement to the press in which they invite institutions and officials that monitor the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB), as well as mass media, to evaluate the institution’s actions in facing a clearly illegal activities with election campaigning in 2021.
The verdict of the Administrative District Court in the case No. A420248122, which came into force on the 15th of July, cancels KNAB’s decision on determining the status of restricted access information and limiting the use of information in the case of illegal anonymous campaigning during Ventspils City Council elections of 2021. This is about the still undisclosed publisher of the “newspaper” Ko visādi ventspilnieki.lv tev nestāsta [Tales spun by ventspilnieki.lv].
The co-plaintiffs of this case Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis, Dace Korna, Aivis Landmanis and Ivars Landmanis are satisfied that ruling made based on their application submitted a year ago opens the way for them and the rest of society and journalists to gain access and study documents from KNAB’s investigation and details about the illegal distribution of hidden and manipulative promotion materials of previously unprecendented range during the pre-election period in Ventspils in 2021, which caused a considerable distortion of election results and distribution of political powers in Ventspils City Council.
The co-plaintiffs, who represented New Unity and Latvian Association of Regions in the 2021 municipal elections in Ventspils,
invite investigative journalists to use the opportunity provided by the court’s verdict
and work on determining the truth about the dubious quality of KNAB’s investigation, the bureau’s clear unwillingness to bring to justice those responsible for ordering illegal activities directed against the democratic system of Latvia, its security, free and fair elections in the city of Ventspils. KNAB Chief J. Straume knows who they are, which is a point he publicly made on multiple occasions, authors of the announcement say.
[Citation from Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis’ statement during the 19th of April court hearing:
“The plaintiffs believe such a position from KNAB, its objective is illegitimate.”
It indicates KNAB’s wish to sweep this case, its instigators, the names of which KNAB knows very well, under the rub. Why? To hide their powerlessness? – BNN.]
The co-plaintiffs invite investigative journalists to look into the reasons why KNAB not only did not stop in a timely manner, but also allowed massive, anonymous, illegal and malicious anonymous campaigning against them – political candidates. They also invite journalists to look into the severe consequences of this inaction from the bureau.
The co-plaintiffs also turn Latvian society’s attention towards the fact that materials of KNAB’s investigation point to the bureau’s apparent reluctance to properly assess many of the facts established during the investigation. This includes the reluctance to turn to Lithuania for assistance to determine the coordinator of the aforementioned illegal and distorting activities.
Ģ.V.Kristovskis, D.Korna, A.Landmanis and I.Landmanis remind that anonymous political campaigning took the shape of 16-page thick and insulting newspaper that was delivered to residents of Ventspils over the course of five weeks. Each issue was released in the number of 17 000 printed materials, containing untrue, manipulated or downright discrediting information in Latvian and Russian languages.
At the same time, this illegal printed “newspaper” praised the leader of For Latvia and Ventspils political party, the man found guilty of severe crimes by a court of first instance Aivars Lembergs.
Authors of the announcement say that the verdict of the Administrative District Court of Riga in the case Nr.A420248122, which has come into force, not only lifts the restricted access status unjustifiably imposed on information by KNAB, but also allows the victims – political candidates – to direct Latvian society’s attention towards the bureau’s actions and its unwillingness to ensure a free, fair and honest election process. One of KNAB’s main duties is to ensure unconditional provision of the prohibition of covert campaigning as listed in Section 3 of the Pre-election Campaign Law.
However, opposite to this prohibition, KNAB classified the distribution of the aforementioned printed materials as political promotion of a non-party person,
which is to be prohibited if its costs exceed EUR 7 500 (amount permitted by law).
Co-plaintiffs also note that they see no excuse of justifications for such actions from KNAB – allowing the distribution of anonymous and illegal printed materials for a period of five weeks. This is especially because KNAB’s website makes it clear when it comes to the rights of non-party persons – that pre-election campaigning is to be performed only and strictly in accordance with the Pre-election Campaign Law, which makes it clear – non-party individuals are to perform political campaigning only for themselves.
However, it would seem KNAB has completely ignored its own guidelines when it comes to elections in Ventspils, disregarding the obvious truth – that the Ko visādi ventspilnieki.lv tev nestāsta [Tales spun by ventspilnieki.lv] printed material is anonymous. Additionally, it does not contain statutory mandatory indications: that the publication is political advertising; no indication of the publication’s print run; the identity of the one who paid for printing and distribution!
“KNAB still has not responded to any questions asked by the co-plaintiffs! Instead KNAB has continued absurdly claiming that there was no way for the bureau to act any differently. According to KNAB, the bureau was unable to put a stop to the distribution of illegal materials by the country’s own legislation!,” the statement of politicians mentions.
Ģ.V.Kristovskis, D.Korna, A.Landmanis and I.Landmanis mention in their joint statement: prior to municipal elections in Ventspils in 2021 they believed they would be participating in free and fair elections, but in the end they suffered severe disappointment. One of the reasons for this is KNAB’s inaction during the pre-election period in preventing the spread of this hidden and manipulative political promotion.
As a result of this, KNAB has mislead multiple state officials, the Central Election Commission, Ministry of Environment Protection and Regional Development, as well as other Latvian law enforcement institutions that did not go through the complaints submitted by the aforementioned politicians and simply forwarded them to KNAB, believing this institution would take immediate action in the interests of free and fair elections. Unfortunately, this did not happen, authors of the statement mention.
They stress: what happened was completely the opposite – in two years KNAB only refused to provide access to facts uncovered in the investigation. After a year-long investigation plaintiffs were provided a useless fact about the formal client that ordered the printed materials – LLC Affantion a shell company that was liquidated a long time ago.
KNAB Chief J.Straume told journalists on multiple occasions that
this LLC Affantion is nothing more than a shell company,
and that the ones behind this stunt are someone else entirely. Although KNAB knows who they are, the bureau failed to prove a link during the investigation.
This is why the co-plaintiffs in the case Nr.A420248122 invite every state institution, every high-ranking state official responsible for monitoring KNAB’s operations and who are responsible for ensuring elections are free and fair in the country, to look into the bureau’s activities in the context of municipal elections in Ventspils of 2021.
We believe that as a result of KNAB’s action/inaction Latvia’s state power, its democratic structure and we as victims suffered considerable damage, because candidates were prevented from participating in free and fair elections in the manner prescribed by law, Ventspils voters were purposefully misled for a long time, as a result of which a fair an election result was not achieved.
Co-plaintiffs believe the verdict of a court of law in the case Nr.A420248122 affirms that Latvian state and society have to perform urgent measures in the interests of the protection of electoral integrity and democratic participation. It is necessary to strengthen Latvia’s overall resilience against the manipulation of information and interference in electoral processes in order to prevent malicious and deliberate disinformation aimed at misleading the public and illegally influencing the election results.
Politicians also note that to them – co-plaintiffs of the aforementioned case – were provided with legal assistance by sworn attorneys Jānis Loze and Kristaps Loze from Loze & Partneri law firm. Four politicians intend to continue informing Latvia’s society of their plans to defend their rights.
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