KNAB launches review of Latvian MP's housing allowance after public reports
Latvia's anti-corruption bureau has initiated a review into Progressive MP Leila Rasima's rental compensation, also urging stricter checks to prevent abuse.
The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) has launched an internal review regarding Saeima deputy Leila Rasima (Progressives) over a possible dishonest claim for housing rent compensation. The bureau acted on its own initiative, based on information that appeared in public, and is currently examining whether the request and payment were justified.
KNAB also reminded that it has repeatedly alerted the Saeima about weaknesses in the rules governing compensation for lawmakers’ transport and housing expenses. The current regulation, the bureau warns, may be exploited to obtain rental payments by deliberately registering one’s residence more than 39 kilometres from Riga, even when the person actually owns housing in Riga or closer. Previous cases have seen deputies compensated unlawfully; two were criminally convicted for fraud.
To reduce these risks, KNAB proposes stricter verification steps, including a requirement for deputies to declare that they are not related to the landlord and that they do not own a residence in Riga or within 39 km of the capital. It calls on all MPs to act responsibly and honestly.
The review follows public reports that Rasima receives €610 per month in rental compensation, while her asset declaration shows an apartment in Riga. She responded on social media that her mother bought the apartment in her name for the future, but she has never lived there and receives no income from it.
Under the current system, MPs may receive a combined compensation for housing and transport, including public transit. The maximum amount is based on the MP’s declared residence, and only actual expenses are reimbursed within that limit. Not all lawmakers claim compensation: in August, 58 out of 100 MPs received none. Allowable amounts are calculated using the average wage from two years earlier, multiplied by coefficients set out in the Saeima’s rules of procedure. The system is designed to ensure that an MP’s place of residence does not affect their ability to perform parliamentary duties.
Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs (AS) has said there are several examples where compensation may have been manipulated or claimed without justification.
