European Prosecutor Rejects Speculation Over Timing of Search at Prime Minister's Former Adviser

Speculation has emerged in Latvia over why searches and other procedural actions in an investigation into suspected procurement fraud and abuse of office at the Alūksne municipality were carried out while a new government was being formed. European Prosecutor Gatis Doniks, speaking on the programme "Spried ar Delfi", described such an interpretation of events as partly demagoguery.

What happened

The actions were carried out by the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) on behalf of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO). They also took place at the premises of Mārtiņš Brencis, who was then an adviser to Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs.

Criticism on social media

Jānis Citskovskis, a former director of the State Chancellery, wrote on the platform X that the searches and detention occurred while the new government was taking shape. He suggested: "It is very likely that, under the cover of a criminal case, Brencis's phone calls were also tapped and correspondence obtained, including with Kulbergs. We only have to wait to see where and when it surfaces."

The prosecutor's response

Doniks objected to this reading. In his words, such rhetoric is not based on facts available to the investigation. On the programme, the prosecutor also explained why the search could not be put off until a later date.

The source text does not set out the prosecutor's own arguments about the timing in detail.