14:20, 21 December 2023
It has already been reported that on December 20, the Riga District Court in Jūrmala found the former president of the Bank of Latvia Ilmārs Rimšēvičs and construction contractor Māris Martinsons guilty of bribery crimes and sentenced both of them to actual prison terms.
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Rimševič was sentenced to prison for six years, as well as probation supervision for one year. Also, the court ordered the confiscation of Rimševič’s property, including confiscating several real estates.
Construction contractor Martinsons was also found guilty, and the court sentenced him to five years in prison, and also decided to collect money from him in the amount of more than 150,000 euros.
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Filmmaker Kaspars Nordens filmed how I. Rimševičs leaves the courtroom and goes in an unknown direction. The video went viral on social networks, including the chat platform “X”. Anastasija, who also shared the video, says: “WHERE IS HE GOING? DOES HE KNOW THE WAY HOME? WHERE IS HIS JACKET? DID HE GET TO HIS DESTINATION? SO MANY QUESTIONS!”
WHERE IS HE GOING? DOES HE KNOW THE WAY HOME? WHERE IS HIS JACKET? DID HE GET TO HIS DESTINATION?
SO MANY QUESTIONS!@NordensKaspars FILMED THE MOST EPIC MOMENT OF THIS YEAR! 😍😂❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/HHTUjE9lH5
— Anastasija Tetarenko-Supe (@te_anastasija) December 20, 2023
“A very subtly ironic choice of song (accidentally or consciously) – it was this Stabulnieks/German song “Baron” that was conducted by Ilmar’s wife, the excellent choir conductor Agita Ikauniece-Rimševiča, at this year’s Song Festival,” says one comment author.
A very subtly ironic choice of a song (accidentally or consciously) – it was this Stabulnieks/German song “Baron” that was conducted by Ilmar’s wife, the excellent choir conductor Agita Ikauniece-Rimševiča, at this year’s Song Festival.
— August Zilberts (@AugustsZilberts) December 20, 2023
Other commentators also share their opinion about what they saw, others predict where he went.
🤔.. he was given a prison sentence, but this one takes it and just leaves… tomorrow there will be nothing left to put in prison…
— opt-IM-ux (@im_mal) December 20, 2023
He went to see a movie and prepare for future adventures.
— fxlv (@fxlv) December 20, 2023
And let him go like that? Have you already served your sentence?
— Ilona Koskina (@IlonaKoskina) December 20, 2023
You need this in the background
— Guntis_Vāveris (@vaveris) December 21, 2023
It seems to me that he already went to warm countries. The place is already reserved. I don’t believe that it will actually “sit”
— knausis 🇺🇦 (@kaagaa87) December 20, 2023
He goes to breathe freedom.
— Ilya Polyakovs (@Ilya_Polakovs) December 20, 2023
Went to the river. “This is my crown, this is me”
— Gatis G (@GatisGG) December 20, 2023
The main thing is not to rain on the ice
— sir Shpander (@sirShpanders) December 21, 2023
He has a Bentley around the corner. Warmed up.
— Georgs Vepre 🇱🇻🇪🇺🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇦🇮🇱 (@veprozorium) December 20, 2023
However, others point out that it is unethical to make fun of a person at such a difficult time in life.
Do you really think this is funny? Regrettably.
— Guntis A 🇱🇻🇺🇦 (@a_guntis) December 20, 2023
A person just goes. What kind of picture do you have to conjure up in your head in order to orgasm like this from walking?
— balc (@fjodoorz) December 20, 2023
The verdict can still be appealed in the Riga Regional Court. After the verdict, Rimševičs assured journalists that he would appeal the verdict, but did not provide further comments. Martinson’s defender, Didzis Willemson, also assured that he will appeal the verdict.
Previously, Rimševičs and Martinsons stated that they did not admit their guilt and that their guilt was not proven during the trial of the case.
Rimševičas and Martinsons were detained by the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) in February 2018. The General Prosecutor’s Office charged Rimševič with bribery, and Martinson with supporting bribery.
Rimševičs has been accused of accepting a bribe – a paid leisure trip – as well as accepting a bribe – money. He is also accused of money laundering. Rimševičs has repeatedly denied guilt in the crimes he is accused of.
The supervising prosecutor of the case, Viorika Jürgena, previously said that KNAB started this case after the submission of two representatives of “Trust Commercial Bank” (TKB). Both appear as bribe payers in the case, but are exempted from criminal liability because they voluntarily turned to the law enforcement authorities with information about this event. LETA knows that these persons are TKB’s former board member Viktors Ziemelis and former shareholder, the late Igors Buimisters.
Rimševič was previously subject to security measures such as a ban on approaching certain persons, that is, he was forbidden to meet with the then official of the LB and the former chairman of the Financial and Capital Market Commission (FKTK), Irena Krūmanis, as well as Ziemeli and Buimister.
Jurgena previously said that one of the shareholders approached Rimševičs in 2010 with a request to help in matters related to FCTK, offering Rimševičs a paid vacation trip to Kamchatka in exchange. On the other hand, in 2012, this shareholder, together with another one, repeatedly turned to Rimševičs, asking for help in other matters related to FCTK. As payment, Rimševičs requested 500,000 euros, which would be paid in two parts – one before and one after the FCTK decision.
The prosecutor previously emphasized that after the 2010 agreement, Rimševičs repeatedly provided consultations to the shareholder of “Trasta komercbanka”, thus trying to influence the decisions of the FCTK. This type of consultation was also provided after the 2012 agreement, but although Rimševič managed to influence the FCMC to make decisions that were apparently favorable to “Trasta komercbanka”, decisions that were unfavorable were also made at the same time.
As one of the forms of assistance provided by Rimševičs, the prosecutor mentioned assistance in preparing answers to the questions asked by the FCMC in connection with the bank’s liquidity and non-resident issues.
Jürgena also explained that Rimšević failed to fully do what was required of him, so only the first part, or 250,000 euros, was paid. It follows from the prosecutor’s explanation that Martinson played the role of an intermediary in this criminal offense – he received 10% of the total bribe amount. The prosecutor added that the bribe was paid in cash.
In the additional charges, both Rimševič and Martinson are also charged with money laundering of 250,000 euros.
The General Prosecutor’s Office believes that Rimševičs used the EUR 250,000 bribe to buy real estate on behalf of a company, of which the president of the Bank of Latvia secretly became a co-owner. Also, a process has been started against this company for the application of coercive influence, because the said money laundering was carried out in the interests of this legal entity. The accusation is related to the transaction in which Martinson’s officially owned company “MM Investicias” purchased a property in Jurmala, Baznīcas Street 2.
Prosecutors have demanded that Rimšēvič and Martinson be sentenced to real prison sentences, the “de facto” program of Latvian Television reported.
The total penalty requested for Rimševič is imprisonment for six years with confiscation of property. Also, prosecutors demand to limit his opportunities to hold specific positions, prosecutor Ando Skalbe revealed to the program.
Prosecutors are asking Martinson to be imprisoned for five years with confiscation of seized property. On the other hand, Martinson’s company “MM investments”, which, according to the prosecutors, was used in the legalization of bribes, is required to pay a fine of three million euros and also to confiscate property.
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Previously, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) stated in a judgment that the immunity of a member of the European Central Bank (ECB) board is not applicable in cases where the prosecutor establishes that the activities that are the subject of a criminal investigation were clearly not carried out by the head of the central bank of the member state in the performance of his official duties .
This decision of the CJEU opened the possibility to resume consideration of the case of Rimševičas, which was suspended in court in Latvia in December 2019.
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2023-12-21 12:32:41
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