Bunkus murder trial: appeal court begins questioning defense witnesses

The Riga Regional Court on Tuesday at 1 p.m. began questioning witnesses called by the defense in the appellate hearing of the case concerning the murder of insolvency administrator Mārtiņš Bunkus.

Before that, in a closed session, the court panel rejected defense motions to recuse judge Signe Kalniņa and prosecutor Aldis Lasmanis. The defense had argued that both had taken part in a separate criminal case that determined sentences for individuals who also testified in the Bunkus case. The court found the two cases unrelated and concluded the recusal request aimed to cast doubt on the credibility of those witnesses' testimony, though it said that testimony would still be assessed alongside other evidence during the proceedings.

The court also rejected a request to change the pretrial restriction for defendant Mihails Uļmans, based on documents citing changes in his health condition — he remains held in custody. A defense request to send the case back to the first-instance court for retrial was likewise rejected, as was a petition by a representative of a relative of the deceased alleged organizer of the murder, Genādijs Vaļagins, who sought to join the proceedings to achieve Vaļagins' rehabilitation.

The court did grant a recusal request filed by defendant Viktors Krivošejs' defense against prosecutor Rimants Kuzma, citing a personal conflict between the two that arose during the first-instance trial.

Earlier verdict

The Riga City Court had earlier found Krivošejs guilty of the murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment, while businessmen Aleksandrs Babenko and Uļmans were found guilty of ordering the killing and each sentenced to 15 years in prison. All defendants were also given three years of probation supervision and ordered to pay moral damage compensation to Bunkus' relatives. Both the prosecutor and the defendants appealed the verdict.

Bunkus was shot dead on the morning of May 30, 2018, near Riga's Meža Cemetery. Genādijs Vaļagins, considered the organizer of the murder, was killed in 2022 during an unrelated criminal score-settling, which is why no charges were brought against him.