Businessman Trubko sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for bribery

RIGA - The Economic Affairs Court has convicted Igors Trubko, board chairman of Rigas Namu Apsaimniekotajs property management company, of offering a EUR 2.1 million bribe to Riga councilor Martins Kossovics (For/Progressives) and sentenced him to four years and six months in prison.

The court has also banned Trubko from engaging in any kind of business activity for four years and fined Rigas Namu Apsaimniekotajs EUR 124,000.

The court said that there was no doubt about Trubko's guilt, the verdict is harsher than what the prosecutor claimed. The court explains that Trubko's case is one of the most high-profile corruption cases and his sentence will serve as a warning to other high-ranking officials.

The verdict can be appealed to Riga Regional Court.

As reported, the prosecutor sought a jail term of three years for Trubko .

Previously, the Corruption Prevention Bureau (KNAB) said in a statement to the press that evidence obtained by the anti-corruption bureau suggested that the bribe was offered in exchange for the company's victory in a concession tender, which would allow Rigas Namu Apsaimniekotajs to take over the management of some municipal properties managed by Rigas Namu Parvaldnieks (RNP).

Trubko reportedly attempted to instruct Kossovics on how the rules of the tender should be adjusted so that his company could win the competition.

Kossovics told journalists at that time that he reported the bribe offer to KNAB, stressing that he had devoted all his brief political career to developing a political culture of incorruptibility and that he would stand by this principle.

LETA also reported, in 2021 Rigas Namu Apsaimniekotajs offered to take over the management of some municipal buildings under RNP's management as an experiment. The company was eying 60 apartment houses whose tenants had saved up solid provisions.

Firmas.lv database shows that Trubko since 2018 is the board chairman at Rigas Namu Apsaimniekotajs. Also, he is the beneficial owner of the company.

According to the information published on KNAB's website, Trubko in 2002-2013 supported two political parties, donating in total of EUR 49,904. He supported the Reform Party (Zatlers' Reform Party) and Latvia's Social Democratic Workers Party that was in the Riga City Council coalition at the time.