Notes

Latvian Oligarch Aivars Lembergs jailed for five years for financial criminals
After 12 years of legal battles after 12 years of court battles, a Latvian court has finally handed down its verdict in the high-profile case against Aivars Lemmebergs, one of the country's most wealthy men and an influential populist politician. He was also the former mayor in Venspils (a port city located in northern Latvia).

On the 22nd of February Riga Regional Court sentenced Lembergs to five years in prison along with confiscation of property and an amount of EUR20,000 in fines after concluding that he was guilty of various charges related to money-laundering and bribery as well as acquitting him of other charges in this tangled and lengthy case.

Lembergs leader, who is a member of For Latvian and Ventspils has made a comparison of Lembergs' sentencing to that of the Russian opposition leader Aleksey Nailny.

Lembergs pleaded for an immediate break while the judge was reading his verdict. Lembergs was able to have brief conversations first with his son Anrijs. Then , he utilized the remainder of the time to discuss journalists.

Lembergs told journalists that he would appeal the Riga Regional Court's decision . Aivars Lembergs He also said the likelihood was that the appeal hearing could be delayed by ten years. Lembergs also plans to appeal his detention, even though his appeal will be considered by the same court.

After having read the judgment and then reading it, the court made the decision that Lembergs should be detained.

The defendants with him Anrijs Lembergs, his son, and Ansis Sormulis were also found guilty of a variety of charges that were related and both were sentenced to two-year terms.

Lembergs was detained in handcuffs before being taken to Riga City Centre, District Court. Prosecutors began making moves to charge him with the bribery (and money laundering) on a massive scale. Investigations into Ventpils corruption allegations had started in 2005. Nearly 14 years on, a verdict has been handed down.

The trial has been running through Latvian law for over 10 years at a slow speed. In total, 770 court hearings were held as part of the main criminal proceedings for the past 12 years. Since August 20, 2009, the date that Riga Regional Court resumed adjudication from February 11 to 2021, 1 483 court trials were conducted.

Although he is currently being tried on charges of corruption and laundering of huge sums, Lembergs has maintained his position as a politic powerhouse in Ventspils. https://www.vestnesis.lv/wwwraksti//2018/021/BILDES/GALAZINOJUMS/PIEL_10.PDF Aivars Lembergs For the past two decades he served as the city's mayor.

When he was found guilty of financial crimes, his appointment as mayor was rescheduled. However, he still held the real power and defeated one minister's attempts to stop him from becoming Ventspils mayor. He even participated in the government of the International Monetary Fund meetings and helped select the people who would be the Latvian presidency.

Aivars Lembergs Regarding Latvia's municipal elections, Lembergs stated that the choice of whether to participate in these elections will be taken by his local party For Latvia and Ventspils, but that his possible participation in the elections the main thing he is focusing on. Aivars Lembergs
Here's my website: https://www.trtrussian.com/news/ajvars-lembergs