RIGA - The Prosecutor General's office has brought charges of illegal wiretapping against former Security Police officer Arnis Indriksons, the second wiretapping scandal in Latvia in less than a month.
Indriksons is accused of having obtained printouts of recorded telephone conversations on behalf of Aivars Lembergs, Ventspils mayor and head of the ruling coalition party the Greens and Farmers Union, who is currently under house arrest charged with large scale bribery, extortion, and abuse of power. Specifically, the officer is being charged with bribery and abuse of power.
Indriksons formerly acted as the deputy chief administrator of the Security Police but stepped down before the prosecutor's office brought charges against him.
A criminal investigation has also been launched on deliberate disclosure of state secrets, a charge carrying a sentence of up to eight years in prison.
Security Police spokeswoman Kristine Apse-Krumina said in an Aug. 31 interview with the LNT television station that prosecutors "believe that our former employee has committed the said crimes," and that they have launched an investigation into the matter.
While she could not comment on the details of the case, she could say that there was insufficient information at the time to determine whether Indriksons acted alone or with accomplices.
Lembergs, who has been under police supervision since March but was only recently relieved of his duties as mayor of Ventspils, previously denied allegations that he had enlisted Security Police officials to gather information for him.
"I have never had any deals with any Security Police representatives," he said in an interview with the Neatkariga daily 's a newspaper with which Lembergs maintains close ties.
In July there were reports that a search of Lembergs' office at Ventspils Nafta (Ventspils Oil) found audio recordings, CDs and documents containing information about various influential people, including prosecutor Andis Mezsargs, New Era party member Dans Titavs and Diena editor-in- chief Sarmite Elerte, an indefatigable critic of Lembergs.
As many as 14 people have been declared victims of the crime, including many of Lembergs' rivals in the Ventspils transit business.
The charges come only a week after journalist Lato Lapsa sparked another major wiretapping controversy by publishing transcripts of allegedly recorded phone calls between high ranking members of the judiciary (see Page 14). Lapsa predicted that the country would see even more such wiretapping scandals in the future.
There have been a number of cases in the past in which security police and other officials have been implicated in wiretapping scandals.
The court date for Indriksons' hearing will not be released until Central District Court Judge Andis Celms returns from vacation.
