New potential anti-corruption chief selected

Feb 10, 2009
TBT staff

The selection process for the new KNAB chief has been ongoing since June 2008

RIGA- The National Security Council has chosen one of the two candidates to be the new chief of the Corruption Prevention and Combatting Bureau  (KNAB) and are prepared to recommend him to the government’s Cabinet.

After the National Security Council meeting,  Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins told the press that the National Security Council has recommended Normunds Vilnitis for further consideration as the new KNAB chief.

Following the meeting, Prosecutor General Janis Maizitis told the press that interviewing the candidates during several meetings had been a test and Vilnitis had done better than the other candidate, Arturs Zvejsalnieks.

Maizitis said that further nomination of Vilnitis as KNAB chief was the responsibility of the politicians. The prosecutor general could not say whether Vilnitis would eventually be appointed as the new KNAB chief.

When asked about the implications of such long review of candidates, who were interviewed by the National Security Council during the three successive meetings, Maizitis said: "This is the negative side of organizing competitions to fill a vacancy -- you don't know those people.”

In response to a question whether political past by Vilnitis should not be a cause of concern, the prosecutor general said that Vilnitis should distance himself from his political past. The candidate did not attempt to hide his former interest in politics, added Maizitis.

He said that KNAB had remained without a leader for a long time and it was a dangerous situation.

Interior Minister Mareks Seglins also said that Vilnitis had been better that Zvejsalnieks in terms of his knowledge of law as well as work and life experience.

Vilnitis is a board member of KKC Biznesa Centrs and Komerckonsultaciju Centrs. Before taking up business, he used to be a lecturer in the LatvianPoliceAcademy and the College of Law.

Vilnitis obtained the Master's degree in law at the LatvianPoliceAcademy and is presently for his PhD at M.V.LomonosovMoscowStateUniversity.

Aleksejs Loskutovs, the previous KNAB chief was fired from the position by the Latvian parliament in June 2008 after two employees in the anti-corruption office were caught pocketing bureau funds.

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