Court is ready to release Lembergs on EUR 100,000 bail

RIGA - The Riga Regional Court today decided to satisfy the request of the lawyer of Former Ventspils mayor Aivars Lembergs (For Latvia and Ventspils), setting a EUR 100,000 bail.

Lembergs and another persons will have to pay bail within a month. Lembergs will be banned from taking the position of the Ventspils mayor.

As reported, Riga Regional Court on February 22 slapped a five-year jail term, confiscation of property and a EUR 20,000 fine on Lembergs who was tried for massive graft, money laundering, abuse of his official powers and other crimes.

Lembergs appealed the court's decision.

Lembergs was arrested at the court room. The court, however, took into account the time Lembergs had already spent in arrest - from March 14 until July 10, 2007, and in house arrest - from July 10, 2007, until February 22, 2008.

The court also ruled that Lembergs has to pay large sums to several victims in the case.

In relation to some charges Lembergs was acquitted.

Lembergs son Anrijs Lembers got a jail term of two years and one month with confiscation of property, while Lembergs' former business partner Ansis Sormulis was sentenced to two years in jail with confiscation of property. Anrijs Lembergs and Sormulis were not arrested at the court room. They will have to go to jail when the sentence takes force.

The court started hearing the case back in 2009.