RIGA - In the latest development of an ongoing high level corruption scandal, Ventspils city mayor Aivars Lembergs has been denied his request to post bail. Lembergs stands charged with large scale bribery, money laundering, blackmail, and abuse of authority.
In a court hearing lasting nearly seven hours, the Riga Regional Court on April 23 overruled a request filed by Lembergs' lawyer to allow Lembergs to post bail. Lembergs had offered the court as much as 300,000 lats (425,000 euros) in bail. Additionally, a number of prominent Latvian citizens volunteered to stand bond for him.
Guntars Antoms, Lembergs' attorney, told journalists that he plans to appeal the ruling within seven days. As it stands, Lembergs' request will not be re-evaluated until the prosecutor's office fully carries out its investigation, which includes cooperation with foreign investigative agencies and experts. He was initially denied bail on the grounds that it was believed that if he was released, he would use his influence to try to obstruct the ongoing investigations.
Prosecutor Krisjanis Rudzitis said that he was unable to predict how long the investigation might take, but did say that he felt it was proceeding successfully. He added that none of the people who offered guarantees for Lembergs have yet turned to the prosecutor's office.
Lembergs was arrested on the highway between Ventspils and Riga on March 14 while traveling to a court hearing and was ordered into custody. The Riga Regional Court overruled his appeal to that decision as well.
Lembergs has repeatedly denied all charges brought against him. Aivo Leimanis, another one of Lembergs' legal representatives, said his client has not yet been interrogated and did not understand the essence of the charges laid against him.
The drama of the case surrounding Lembergs has had extensive repercussions. His arrest was widely seen as the first step in a war against the so-called "oligarchs" of Latvian business and politics. The other two "oligarchs," Andris Skele and Ainars Slesers, have also recently found themselves faced with legal problems.
Mamerts Vaivads, the former council chairman of Latvia's Ventspils Nafta (VN) multi-business group, and Krists Skuja, council chairman of Ventamonjaks chemicals and oil products terminal, were implicated along with Lembergs in the bribery and corruption charges.
Since he was first implicated in the crimes, constant new developments in the case have shocked Latvian society. The scandal was even large enough at one point to raise fears that Parliament would have to be dissolved if enough members were implicated.
Lembergs is currently being detained in the Matisa Prison in Riga.
