Five men detained in murder

  • 2001-01-11
  • Jorgen Johansson
RIGA - Latvian national police on Jan. 2 detained five men, all Latvian
citizens, suspected of participating in the killing of businessman
Dainis Peimanis, who was gunned down outside Riga on Dec. 15.

Police believe the killing was ordered by somebody, but have yet to
name a suspect, produce a murder weapon or establish a motive.

Criminal Police Chief Valdis Pumpurs told journalists that there had
been past attempts to assassinate Peimanis, an alcohol manufacturing
executive.

"There were at least two previous attempts to kill the businessman,"
Pumpurs said. He does not rule out the possibility of more suspects
emerging as the investigation continues.

Pumpurs said another crime could also be solved in the course of the
investigation, but refused to be more specific. "During the
investigation, we discovered that another murder had been committed
in relation to or as a result of this one," Pumpurs said.

Krists Leiskalns, spokesman for the national police, said police
believe that the five men apprehended are the ones who murdered
Peimanis.

"Now we have to find out who did what, but we cannot convict
anybody," Leiskalns said. "That is up to the court."

There are several eyewitnesses to the shooting, and they have all
been placed on witness protection programs. Pumpurs said the police
have invested a lot of money in protecting the witnesses.

Jaunpagasts Plus Ltd., the distillery company which Peimanis served
as president, has announced that a reward of 25,000 lats ($41,500)
will be paid for information leading to Peimanis' killer.

The Latvian daily newspaper Neatkariga Rita Avize reported Jan. 5
that $8,000 could have been paid for the slaying of Peimanis.
According to the newspaper, one man detained by police on suspicion
of being involved in the shooting, 21-year-old Dainis Politiko,
confessed during interrogation that he personally participated in the
ambush Dec. 15 near the Latvian town of Talsi.

Politiko's attorney Vilhelms Kozlovskis denied the reports, adding
that he was present during Politiko's questioning.

Politiko's mother has also dismissed reports of her son's involvement
in Peimanis' murder, stressing that her son was at work Dec. 15, and
that his colleagues can confirm this.

The Latvian news service LETA reported that it obtained information
saying Politiko has confessed he knew of a plot to kill Peimanis but
did not inform police. He denied any part in the killing, according
to LETA.