State Revenue Service building.
Photo: Ieva Makare / LETA
Sandis Ozoliņš, the head of the Management Department of the State Defense Military Facilities and Procurement Center (VAMOIC), who was arrested in a bribery attempt in the State Revenue Service (SRS), saved almost 30,000 euros in cash last year, according to the statement of his official.
The declaration, which was published on the SRS website at the end of June, shows that Ozoliņš has accumulated 21,000 euros and 9,500 US dollars (8,411 euros) in cash. He has saved 4,063 euros in the bank.
Ozolins has received 6772 euros for his work at VAMOIC. He has been in the position of VAMOIC since September 16 last year. Previously, he also worked for SIA “Rīgas 1.slimnīca” and last year he received 16,622 euros in salary at the hospital.
Last year, Ozoliņš also declared a consultant’s position in the company “OZY Service Group”, where he received 8506 euros in salary.
In the section of the declaration next to transactions, he has declared several sales transactions in the total amount of 8,200 euros. In his turn, transactions in the amount of 45,000 euros are defined in his tax return as “other”.
The official owns the 2006 Volvo car, owns land and buildings in Stopiņi municipality, as well as jointly owns land and construction in Alūksne.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) explained to the agency LETA that the official is still absent and VAMOIC does not have official information on the reasons for the absence, therefore there is no legal basis for suspending or dismissing the official.
The TV3 program “Nekā personīga” recently reported that Ozoliņš had started his career at the Ministry of Finance, transferred to the SRS Excise Goods Department in 2000, and was also the Deputy Head of the Finance Department. In the last years of his career at the SRS, he has been in charge of the Administrative Department. Six years ago, Ozoliņš left his job at the SRS. Since last autumn, Ozoliņš has been an employee of the National Defense Military Facilities and Procurement Center.
It has already been reported that in June the SRS Internal Security Board detained an organized group of persons who demanded a bribe in the amount of 65,000 euros with the aim of handing it over to an SRS official.
The SRS has stated that the amount is requested in order to ensure that an official of the SRS, using the position of the service, would ensure in-depth and tends to perform unfavorable inspections in relation to specific companies.
Two former SRS officials, as well as one current SRS official have been recognized as suspects.
In total, five persons involved in the offense were granted suspect status during the investigation, while two of the suspects were remanded in custody by a court. Ozoliņš is still in custody, but the other person has been released on bail in the amount of 15,000 euros.
“Nekā personīga” reported that the attempted bribery was related to the purchase of technical salt for road maintenance and Sandis Ozoliņš was at the center of the detained group.
