Corruption Prevention Bureau wants Rimsevics charged with trying to coerce witness into giving false testimony

RIGA - The Corruption Prevention Bureau is asking the prosecutor's office to initiate criminal proceedings against former Bank of Latvia Governor Ilmars Rimsevics in connection with his attempts to obtain false testimony from a witness.

The Corruption Prevention Bureau says in a press release that it is asking the Prosecutor's Office to investigate two private individuals for coercing a witness to give false testimony.

The Corruption Prevention Bureau opened criminal proceedings on June 14 this year.

Evidence obtained during pre-trial investigation states that a private individual, acting on instructions issued by a person who was a suspect in an ongoing criminal case, attempted to coerce a witness into withdrawing his testimony given during the pre-trial investigation and instead provide false testimony in favor of the defendant. He also offered financial compensation to the witness for giving false testimony.

The Corruption Prevention Bureau closed pre-trial investigation in that criminal case in June 2018, asking the prosecutor's office to bring charges against two persons: a Bank of Latvia official and a private individual.

The prosecutor's office will now have to decide whether to start criminal proceedings for coercing a witness into giving false testimony.

As reported, this past August the Corruption Prevention Bureau conducted a search of the residence of Rimsevics. Rimsevics' attorney Normunds Dulevskis told LETA that Rimsevics was suspected of meeting with a private individual to discuss coercing former Trasta Komercbanka majority shareholder Igors Buimisters into giving false evidence in Rimsevis' favor. Buimisters recently passed away.

LETA also reported, Rimsevics was the Bank of Latvia governor from December 20, 2001 to December 20, 2019. Rimsevics has been charged with two counts of graft, as well as money laundering. In the same criminal case, businessman Maris Martinsons has been charged with aiding and abetting bribery and aiding and abetting graft, as well as money laundering.

The prosecutor on the case previously said that the Corruption Prevention Bureau had opened the criminal case after receiving a petition from two Trasta Komercbanka representatives. LETA later found out that they were the bank's former board member Viktors Ziemelis and Buimisters. The two offered a bribe but were not held responsible as they voluntarily reported the bribe to the authorities.