REZEKNE - Famous politician and athlete Viktors Scerbatihs was allegedly involved in a fight that broke out in a hotel bar in the eastern-Latvian town of Rezekne on Oct. 21.
The scuffle left four people injured, two of whom had to be taken to a nearby hospital.
Scerbatihs denied that he was directly involved in the scuffle during an interview with Latvian public television. Rezekne police department representatives told the Baltic News Service that, contrary to information previously circulated by local press, the lawmaker was not directly involved in the fight. The police said that they planned to call Scerbatihs to the stand as a witness.
The popular Latvian-language daily Neatkariga Rita Avize reported on Oct. 22 that the bar fight involved more than 10 people, some of whom were injured. According to the daily, Scerbatihs stepped between the brawlers as the fight was breaking out, bringing about a few moments of calm.
The brawl, however, quickly started up again.
In addition to his work as a parliamentarian, Scerbatihs gained fame after winning the weightlifting world championships in September. It was his fourth medal in the world championships, and his best result since winning the silver medal in the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
The athlete-lawmaker said that he was discussing sports with former New Era member Guntis Piteronoks when he noticed several locals repeatedly insulting the prominent businessman, calling him a "pig."
"I said that this cannot be so, but they again said that he is a swine," Scerbatihs said. The police said that they did not believe Piteronoks was directly involved in the scuffle either.
Police have opened a criminal investigation into the affair on charges of hooliganism, an offense which carries a sentence of up to seven years in prison. Nobody has yet been detained in connection with the fight.
