Puce says Usakovs could be suspended in three weeks

RIGA - Assessment of the legality of Riga Mayor Nils Usakovs' (Harmony) actions by the Ministry of Regional Development and Environmental Protection could be completed in three weeks, and if it turns out that Usakovs has violated the law he will be promptly suspended from his job, Environmental Protection and Regional Development Minister Juris Puce (For Development/For) said in an interview with LNT television today.

The probe into Usakovs' actions must strictly adhere to all legal requirements, as there have been cases when courts dismissed the results of probes that were not done in perfect accord with the law, said the minister.

The probe under way at the Environmental Protection and Regional Development Ministry is not political, as it has all been organized and performed by the ministry's employees who are politically neutral persons, said Puce. "This process has never been political, and I am not planning it to be a political decision. But I am fully confident that I will be acting within the scope of the law and, should the law be violated, the officials who do it will be punished," said Puce.

When asked when the probe could be completed, Puce said it could happen in about three weeks.