State Environmental Service Director General Kolegova to step down

RIGA - The State Environmental Service's Director General Inga Kolegova has agreed with Environmental Protection and Regional Development Minister Juris Puce (For Development/For) to step down, LETA was informed by the minister's spokeswoman Agnese Varpina.

Inga Kolegova has stepped down from today, and an interim chief will be appointed in the coming days.

After becoming minister just a week ago, Puce said that he will review Kolegova's status and ''how she plans to continue work taking into account she has been charged for providing false information in her asset declaration''.

As reported, Kolegova has failed to include in her public official asset declaration deals worth more than EUR 300,000, according to the charges laid against her by the prosecutor’s office.

According to the prosecutor’s office, the public official failed to include in her 2013, 2014 and 2015 declarations the real estate at her disposal, as well as transactions whose value exceeded 20 minimum monthly wages, as well as other facts concerning her finances.

The official also did not declare deals worth more than EUR 300,000 which had been made in 2013. In the declarations for 2014 and 2015, the official provided false information about large deals whose total value exceeded EUR 600,000, the prosecutor’s office said.

Under the Criminal Law, the above offenses carry a short (up to three months) jail sentence, community work or a fine.

Inga Kolegova has served as the director general of the State Environmental Service since 2012.