Corruption Prevention Bureau finds more than ten fictitious consultants in Rigas Satiksme

RIGA - Rigas Satiksme municipal transport company has probably been paying wages to more than ten fictitious consultants, Corruption Prevention Bureau (KNAB) chief Jekabs Straume said in an interview to Latvian Television this morning.

It is now up to the police to confirm or disprove this information, the KNAB chief said.

Commenting on a criminal investigation into Rigas Satiksme’s procurement deals, Straume said that the probe is ongoing on the national and international level, which includes determining the size of the bribes featuring in this case.

The KNAB chief revealed that the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has also been informed about the Rigas Satiksme case because it involves mishandling not only of Latvian taxpayers’ money but also EU funding.

As reported, the Corruption Prevention Bureau concluded after analyzing audit company Ernst&Young report that Rigas Satiksme could have signed fictitious contracts with a number of advisors, who were paid salaries although they had never actually worked at the company.

On April 15, the Corruption Prevention Bureau forwarded the information to the State Police, as the bureau informed LETA.

Police are already analyzing this information, LETA was told at the State Police.

It has also been reported that the the Corruption Prevention Bureau has started a criminal case on three procurement tenders organized by Rigas Satiksme: 2016 tender to buy low-floor trams for a total of EUR 62,597,477, 2013 tender to buy trolley-buses for a total of EUR 131,646,135, and one more 2013 tender to buy buses worth EUR 75,808,297. The criminal procedure investigates bribery and money laundering in relation to these procurement tenders.