RIGA
- The embattled Aivars
Lembergs, who awaits trial
on charges of bribery and
money laundering, was stripped
of his duties as mayor of
Ventpils by a City Council decision
on Aug. 16.
The Ventspils municipal press
service said the local authority has
received a ruling from the prosecutor's
office setting additional
restrictions on Lembergs while his
trial on fraud charges continues.
The conditions included a ban on
holding the posts of Ventspils
mayor and chairman of the town's
port, the largest in Latvia.
The press office explained that
the decision is only a formality following
the request by the prosecutor's
office to have Lembergs
removed.
"The decision of the prosecutor's
office does not foresee any
possibility to object to it 's we have
to follow it," a representative of
the Ventspils press service said.
The decision does not technically
remove Lembergs as mayor
but simply relinquishes him of his
duties. There is currently no meeting
scheduled on the Ventspils City
Council agenda to discuss officially
removing the mayor from his
post.
"According to the law on
municipalities, it is stated that
when the mayor is not available or
not able to execute duties the first
or second vice mayor should take
over," the press office said. The
duties of acting mayor will hence
officially fall on first deputy Janis
Vitolins, who is reportedly on vacation
until the end of August.
The decision came after comments
made by President Valdis
Zatlers that it was "unethical" to
allow Lembergs, who is being
charged with several felonies, to
maintain his posts.
Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis
weighed in on the topic on Aug. 20,
saying that he would have resigned
if placed in a similar situation.
"If I had such a situation, I
would have stepped aside. I would
prove my innocence and then
return back to the office," he said
in an interview with the Baltic
News Service.
The issue had also previously
been raised with the minister of
regional development and local
government, Aigars Stokenbergs,
who said that he was unable to
depose the mayor without proof of
wrongdoing from the prosecutor's
office.
Lembergs will still be able to
contest the decision in court. If the
court rules in his favor then he
would be able to take up his duties
again.
Lembergs is currently under
house arrest at his property in
Puze. He already spent three
months in a Riga jail before being
placed under house arrest, originally
at his Ventspils apartment.
Throughout the period of his
trial, Lembergs has protested his
innocence and refused to relinquish
his mayoral responsibilities.
He retains a considerable level of
public support in Ventspils.
The press office noted that the
decision will not have much
impact on the workings of the city
government. "Everything is working,
nothing is broken, and all
duties are being fulfilled. Nothing
has changed in everyday life," a
spokesperson said.
