Riga corruption cases end in trials, closures and delays

Years of corruption scandals linked to the former Harmony and Honor to Serve Riga coalition in Riga City Council have resulted in convictions, ongoing trials, closed investigations and cases delayed in court, according to Re:Baltica, the Baltic investigative journalism centre. Five people involved in the cases are now running in parliamentary elections.

Re:Baltica and other media outlets reported for years on alleged insiders in nearly every municipal structure, inflated procurement costs and financial schemes during the coalition’s time in control of Riga City Council.

What happened to the main cases

The investigation into procurement at Rīgas satiksme, a transport company, was closed.

The Nanoūdens case is in court. Investigations into Riga Card, e-tickets and Brandavs are still ongoing.

In the case involving alleged bribery of Nils Ušakovs, Andris Ameriks and Brandavs, one person has been convicted, another is on trial and a third escaped prosecution.

In a fraud case involving the Harmony-linked LABA trade union, one person is in prison, one is on trial and others escaped punishment.

A case involving Harmony’s political consultants became stuck at the police. A case concerning fictitious employees at the Riga Tourism and Development Bureau is progressing very slowly in court.

The case involving alleged bribes in the Maskachka district was closed. Cases concerning so-called insiders at Riga House Manager are moving very slowly through the courts.

Riga Port officials Loginovs and Pečaks were convicted in one case, while the case concerning Aleksejenko’s columbarium was closed. There have also been scandals involving City Council employees.

Rīgas satiksme procurement case closed

The first major corruption case involving Nils Ušakovs’s Harmony-led Riga City Council concerned alleged bribery in Rīgas satiksme transport procurements. It began with high-profile searches at the City Council, the home of Deputy Mayor Andris Ameriks and other locations at the end of 2018, marking the beginning of the coalition’s decline.

KNAB alleged that, since 2012, manufacturers including the Czech companies Škoda Transportation and Škoda Electric and Poland’s Solaris Bus and Coach had paid bribes worth at least 5% of contract values to win tenders. The total was reportedly more than 13 million euros.

Investigators believed that political businessman Māris Martinsons had organised the delivery of the money. They considered the alleged bribes intended for Rīgas satiksme’s then-head Leon Bemhens, Mayor Ušakovs and Deputy Mayor Ameriks.

Re:Baltica said it reached that conclusion from the decision to close the case, interviews with KNAB investigators and reports by other media.

KNAB investigators said there were indications that the alleged scheme could not have operated without approval from senior Riga officials.