Gaidis Berzins, Minister for Justice

The so called Lembergs’ grant holders’ case is not the only one which has been put on the brakes since the post of the Prosecutor General is held by Eriks Kalnmeiers. With the help of Kalnmeiers law enforcement bodies, including the corruption combating and prevention bureau (KNAB), has put a full-stop to the inspection which was once initiated due to the potential bribery of Justice Minister Gaidis Berzins in relation to the so called amendments to security legislation, the portal Pietiek.com reported.

These amendments were realized under the government of ex prime minister Aigars Kalvitis in early 2007 and caused a severe public censure. Also the then president of the state Vaira Vike-Freiberga insisted against them. The post of the justice minister, same as now, was held by Berzins, and exactly in relation to these amendments, which in mass media were related to interests of Ventspils city Mayor Aivars Lembergs, the minister got an unofficial nickname «Lembergs’ postman».

According to the information in hands of the portal, a serious suspicion in spring 2007 arose to investigation bodies, including KNAB, that the Justice Minister has presumably already for a long time been involved in corruptive deals with Ventspils city Mayor Aivars Lembergs and for promotion of the said amendments to security legislation in the government and after that also in Saeima, has received a material support from Lembergs that could be called a bribe.

However, although it was initiated, the inspection about the possible bribery of Justice Minister Gaidis Berzins was later «put on the shelf» with a note that there was not enough evidence about the Minister’s bribery and financial relation to Lembergs. It seems, the inspection against Berzins was dismissed when Kalnmeiers became the Prosecutor General and when in autumn 2010 the so called Lembergs’ grant holders’ case was audited.

The possible bribery of the justice minister has been reviewed both by KNAB and by General Prosecutor’s Office within the so called Lembergs’ grant holders’ case which is being investigated in relation to the criminal proceedings of Ventspils officials’ case. Until the moment the former prosecutor general Janis Maizitis left the post, the investigation both in Lembergs’ grant holders’ case and about Berzins was in its active stage.

The inspection about the Justice Minister was put on the brakes around late 2010 or early 2011. Around this time there appeared an opinion that Berzins’ relation to Lembergs’ money seem more like rumours, not real facts, several sources related to investigation bodies told the portal.

True, these sources also emphasized that inspection about the possible bribery of Berzins could be resumed at least in relation to the scandalous amendments to the security legislation, if there wasn’t a political rule «not to touch the Minister» and if any new facts about the Minister’s financial relation to Lembergs appeared.

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