Five Latvian MPs Facing Criminal Charges Say They Will Avoid Committees Requiring Security Clearance
Five members of Latvia's newly elected 15th Saeima who face criminal charges do not plan to sit on committees requiring state secret clearance, TV3's "Nekā personīga" reported. The parliament's committees have not yet been formed.
None of the five newly elected deputies of Latvia's 15th Saeima (parliament) who face criminal charges plan to work in committees that require a state secret clearance, TV3's programme "Nekā personīga" reported on Sunday. This matters because the outgoing Saeima decided to tighten requirements: members of the Defence and Internal Affairs Committee, as well as the National Security Committee, must now pass a check and obtain clearance from the Constitution Protection Bureau (SAB), Latvia's security service.
The new deputies took their oaths this week at their first sitting, elected the Saeima presidium and appointed faction leaders, but the committees have not yet been set up, and it is unclear who will serve on them.
The five deputies
Most of the cases concern events from the past, and all have already reached court.
- Ainars Šlesers, leader of the "Latvija Pirmajā vietā" faction, is charged with fraud in the second digital television case. Two court instances acquitted him, but the case was sent back for a new hearing. He says he would apply to SAB for clearance only if needed, and will not steer himself toward committees handling classified information.
- Aivars Kraps, former mayor of Jēkabpils, is charged with fraud on a large scale in an organised group. The court of first instance found him guilty, but he has appealed. He does not admit guilt.
- Aleksandrs Bartaševičs, former mayor of Rēzekne, faces charges in two proceedings, including obtaining and disclosing secret information and a case tied to the construction of a SPA centre. He denies the charges. A court decided to suspend one case and ask the Saeima for consent to continue it. He says he will work on committees without state secrets but is still deciding.
- Jānis Stērninieks ("Apvienotais saraksts") is charged with tax evasion and attempted fraud. He was acquitted in the first instance; prosecutors and the State Revenue Service appealed.
- Rūdolfs Brēmanis, leader of "Jaunlatvieši" and a former diplomat, is charged with fraudulent rental of a service apartment and misappropriation of funds at the Latvian embassy in the United Arab Emirates; prosecutors cite more than 100,000 euros. He will work on the Inquiry and Foreign Affairs committees.
What comes next
To continue unfinished proceedings, a majority of the Saeima must vote to consent. Māris Kučinskis, head of the "Apvienotais saraksts" faction, advised against deputies facing criminal proceedings joining committees requiring clearance. SAB says it has not yet received a list of deputies to vet.
