Envelope – ATM – lot. KNAB closed cases of “Latvijas vysvetės” show an illegal financing scheme

One donor reveals how the scheme is organized through companies. We are talking about the former chairman of Jelgava County Council, Madaras Lasmani, who is currently in the public’s attention due to inappropriate behavior during the video communication of the municipal meeting. Đirts Venckus told KNAB that Lasmanis asked to donate to the party in 2019, promising to return the money through his company “ML koks”. This happened by paying a fictitious bill. In a conversation with Re:Baltica, Lasmanis confirms that he invited Vencka to donate, but he did not give any money.

Several witnesses called KNAB the politicians who gave money and called for donations – Pūce, Jaunups, Liepkalns, Plešs. The named themselves deny these claims. However, KNAB has not invited politicians to testify.

“That was our tactic,” explained Andris Donskis, head of the Administrative Procedural Investigation Department of KNAB. “It would be a waste of time. And maybe we would also reveal our cards indirectly.”

“Reading the explanations, it is absolutely clear that illegal party financing is taking place there. Do you agree with that?,” Re:Baltica asked KNAB. “Yes,” confirms Donsky succinctly.

But no one will have to answer for it.

One of the reasons is that criminal liability begins when large amounts are illegally donated, or 50 minimum wages. (in 2018, 2019 it would be approximately 21,000 euros, explains KNAB)

If you add up the questionable donations, it adds up to a lot more. KNAB deputy head Ineta Cīrule admits that this was the thought process of the institution at the beginning – it will be combined into one case, because it is clear that the donors are connected and one party benefits. However, prosecutor Māris Leja did not agree to this. He told Re:Baltica that the source of large amounts should be one natural person. The verses he refers to do not say “natural person”, but that is the meaning. KNAB is now proposing to change the law and establish that significant amounts, or 10 minimum from one source, would be sufficient for criminal liability.