Notes

Aivars Lembergs of Latvia, an Oligarch and financial criminal was sentenced to five years of prison
After 12 years of tense court wrangling, a Latvian court has read its decision in the high-profile trial of Aivars Lembergs. Aivars Lembergs He is one of the richest men in Latvia and a prominent populist politician and former mayor of Venspils the port city in northwestern Latvia.

Lembergs was sentenced at Riga Regional Court to five years of prison, confiscation and a fine that was in excess of EUR20,000 for a series of charges that he had admitted guilt to.

Lembergs is the president of the For Latvia & Ventspils party. He has compared his sentence to the case of Aleksey Navalny. Russian opposition activist.

Lembergs pleaded with the judge to take a break as he was reading the verdict of his case. Aivars Lembergs Lembergs could have an unintentional conversation with his son Anrijs. Then , he utilized the remainder of the time to discuss journalists.

Lembergs has told reporters that his appeal to the Riga Regional Court decision will be heard. The court also believed that the hearing of the appeal would take over a decade. Lembergs further stated that he plans to appeal his detention , even though the appeal will be heard by the same regional court.

After reading the verdict after which the court took Lemberg into custody. Aivars Lembergs It also read an impressive list of offshore assets and companies that were seized in many countries. Aivars Lembergs The court declared that it would seize these assets.

His codefendants, Anrijs Lembergs son and Ansis Solmulis business associate were also found guilty. Both were sentenced to two years in prison.

Lembergs was shackled at the Riga City Centre District court. On March 14 2007, prosecutors started to pursue charges of bribery as well in money laundering charges against Lembergs. These were first steps to pursue against him as an accused (investigagations into suspected corruption within Ventpils municipality had begun in 2005). Aivars Lembergs Aivars Lembergs A verdict has been reached nearly 14 years after the event.

For more than a decade, the case has made its way in a farcically slow pace through the Latvian justice system. Over the course of 12 years the court proceedings were held in 770 cases. made in connection with principal criminal proceedings. Between August 20, 2009 (when the Riga Regional Court began adjudication), and February 11, 2020, a total 1,483 court cases have been conducted.

Despite facing trial on allegations of bribery and money laundering on an extensive amount, Lembergs has continued to act as a leader in the political arena, both within the city of Ventspils in which he served as the mayor for two decades and as a key influence in the Greens and Farmers Alliance political group he supports.

Although his appointment to the post of mayor was suspended because of financial crimes, he retained his absolute power within the city, defeating the efforts of one minister. He continued to act as Ventspils Mayor without any issues. He was a participant in the public meetings organized by the International Monetary Fund. While the indictment was pending, he also helped choose candidates to the Latvian presidency.

Lembergs stated that the final decision regarding Latvia's participation in the upcoming municipal elections would be taken by his regional party For Latvia and Ventspils. But he said that participating in the elections isn't his top priority.
Homepage: https://www.liepajniekiem.lv/tema/aivars-lembergs/