Expelled diplomat was buying secrets

RIGA - Alexander Rogozhin, the Russian diplomatexpelled from Latvia last week, was buying secret information from Latvian officials, Latvian Interior Minister Mareks Seglins told journalists on Jan. 28.

The minister also said the names of the sellers had beenestablished and they would be brought to justice.

Seglins added that those responsible deserved no tolerance. "It cannot be otherwise," Seglinssaid, adding though that he would abstain from making furtherjudgements until he has received the necessary reports into the affair.

The minister promised to provide more details after a meetingof the National Security Council.

Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis, meanwhile, declined to comment on the news.

The Latvian Constitution Protection Bureau (SAB) has also declined tocomment on the Russian diplomat's alleged spying activities in Latvia. Thesecret service's representative Iveta Maura told BNS that information onthe expelled diplomat is being passed to the appropriate state officials.The Latvian authorities are not expected to open a criminal procedure, asthere are no grounds for it, because counterintelligence operations haveprevented any potential harm to national security.

SAB would not release more details for the time being, as they concerninvestigative work and state secrets.

The affair is the second time in as many weeks that doubts have been raised as to the trustworthiness of Latvian civil servants. An earlier enquiry into corrupt officials selling passports to individuals not entitled to them continues.