Charges likely to be brought against Estonian businessman Ossinovski in Latvia this week

  • 2016-07-04
  • BNS/TBT STAFF/TALLINN/RIGA

Although the Latvian Prosecutor General's Office has not brought charges against Estonian railway businessman Oleg Ossinovski, it will likely be done this week, Ossinovski's attorney Saulvedis Varpins said.

"It seems that the prosecutor's office is trying to bring official charges against Ossinovski," Varpins told BNS. He added that the decision has not been made yet. It is probable that official charges will be brought against him this week.

Last week the Latvian Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) said it recommended that the Prosecutor General's Office prosecute Ugis Magonis, a former head of Latvian Railways (Latvijas Dzelzcels, LDz), for accepting a bribe of 500,000 euros, and charges have probably been also moved against Estonian railway businessman Oleg Ossinovski.

According to a statement on the KNAB's website, the state official accepted a bribe related to a tender involving LDz's subsidiary LDz Ritosa Sastava Serviss (LDz Rolling Stock Maintenance). The lead KNAB investigator in the case has asked that Magonis be prosecuted for large-scale graft, in addition to another individual for giving the bribe to a state official with the aim of achieving a favourable decision.

KNAB suspects Magonis of accepting a bribe of 500,000 euros so that LDz subsidiary LDz Ritosa Sastava Serviss would purchase four old locomotives for several million euros from the Estonian millionaire Oleg Ossinovski's company Skinest. Ossinovski denies any corrupt practices in the sale of the locomotives.