KNAB Head Denies Information Leak from Bureau, Citing Visibility of Investigative Actions

Jēkabs Straume, the head of Latvia's Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB), stated in an interview on TV3's "900 sekundes" that the media learns about ongoing investigative actions before they conclude, but this does not constitute a leak from the bureau. He emphasized that it is hard to keep such actions secret when they take place in municipalities, ministries, or state-owned enterprises.

According to Straume, journalists quickly obtain information from their sources, and KNAB has no control over that. He categorically ruled out the possibility that information was leaked from within the bureau.

Earlier in May, law enforcement conducted extensive investigative activities in the so-called timber industry case, detaining several officials. Prosecutor General Armīns Meisters expressed suspicions during a press conference that information about the operations had been leaked, but noted that further assessment is needed to determine if it affected the investigation. He stated that certain facts suggest a leak, but there is currently no evidence that any individual had prior knowledge of the law enforcement actions and thus avoided them.