Saeima Ditches EDUS Module After IT Procurement Scandal
Saeima Speaker Daiga Mieriņa announced that the parliament has stopped using the EDUS module following an evaluation of IT procurements, urging other institutions to do the same for security reasons.
Speaker of the Saeima, Daiga Mieriņa, stated that the parliament has decided to abandon the EDUS module after reviewing IT procurements. She emphasized that all state institutions and state-owned companies should evaluate their IT procurement procedures and, due to security concerns, cease cooperation with the entrepreneurs who offer their services through the Electronic Procurement System.
EDUS is a unified internal information system managed by "Corporate Systems." It allows organizations to publish current regulations, news, employee contact lists, forums, and important documents such as collective agreements and internal rules. The system also offers task registers, contact management, meeting scheduling, working time planning, and search functionality.
The decision to drop the EDUS module comes amid a large-scale fraud scandal in IT procurements. The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) launched a criminal investigation into fraud worth €1.5 million in projects funded by the European Regional Development Fund. Twenty-one people, including state officials, have been detained. Arrests were made of suspended procurement specialist Ainars Biders, former director of the State Digital Development Agency Jorens Liops, and Aigars Ceruss, owner of "Corporate Solutions," who was later released.
According to the investigation, an organized group colluded to predetermine winners in at least six public procurements. It is suspected that contracts were illegally secured with the help of officials, and the illegal profits were shared among those involved. EPPO warned that some projects could pose national security risks and affect elections and democratic processes, concerns echoed by President Edgars Rinkēvičs.
