Silina's stay in VIP lounge in Amsterdam was linked to her visit to US - Citskovskis

RIGA - Prime Minister Evika Silina's stay in the VIP lounge of Amsterdam Airport was linked to her visit to the US in March 2024, the former head of the State Chancellery, Janis Citskovskis, told LETA.

According to information from LETA Archive, Silina visited the US from March 11 to 14, 2024. During the visit, she attended the 68th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as well as with high-ranking US officials, members of Congress, business representatives, and the Latvian diaspora.

In New York, Silina addressed the UN General Assembly and attended the session of the Commission on the Status of Women, the world's largest gender equality forum.

Citskovskis stressed that if Silina sues him for defamation over allegations that she used the VIP lounge at Amsterdam Airport, he would be ready for it. The former senior civil servant said that he has a set of documents on this particular VIP lounge bill, which he had officially requested and obtained from the State Chancellery.

He also said that the documents issued by the State Chancellery confirm that Inese Gailite, who at that time was the State Chancellery's deputy director and head of the Legal Department, paid the bill on April 19, 2024. Citskovskis was removed from his position on April 10, 2024, and Gailite took over as acting head of the State Chancellery.

Citskovskis claimed in an interview with Latvian Television on Tuesday that he and his colleagues at the State Chancellery had often asked public officials to refrain from unjustifiable spending, but these requests went unheeded. One such case allegedly involved Silina. According to Citskovskis, the State Chancellery received a bill of roughly EUR 400 after the prime minister and her adviser visited the VIP lounge at Amsterdam Airport.

Citskovskis said that he refused to pay the bill, which was later paid by another official after he was suspended from office.

The former head of the State Chancellery also claimed similar cases involving former prime minister Krisjanis Karins, who had allegedly asked to pay for his daughter's use of a VIP lounge.

The prime minister dismissed the allegations made by Citskovskis yesterday as untrue and added that she is considering a defamation lawsuit.

In an interview with TV3 channel on Tuesday, the prime minister said that, in her view, Citskovskis is using the pre-election period to put pressure on politicians as a defense tactic in the criminal proceedings. At the same time, Silina assumes that the former head of the State Chancellery could use his current popularity either to run in the upcoming elections or to promote the election of some political force.

Asked whether she uses airport VIP lounges in her capacity as prime minister, Silina said that such a privilege is granted to high-ranking officials in accordance with existing laws and regulations. This is the case all over the world and, in her opinion, it is normal.

When asked about specific amounts spent on such amenities, the prime minister replied that she "does not have all the bills in mind", but that it was Citskovskis who was responsible for ensuring that the relevant travel arrangements were in place. In any case, all information has been submitted to the prosecutor's office and passed on to the media, the prime minister said.

As reported, Citskovskis is currently on trial in the so-called Karins' contract flights case.