Aivars Lembergs

Another legal proceedings have been initiated in the so called London’s court or the Royal Court of Justice in relation to potential money theft from JSC Latvijas kuģniecība (LK) with Ventspils city mayor Aivars Lembergs as one of defendants.

Lembergs and several other persons, according to the view of the London’s court, are really connected to the potential laundering of more than nine million US dollars, using also offshore companies registered in Gibraltar, states the London court’s international asset freeze order in hands of the portal Pietiek.com.

The London’s court has arrested properties of Lembergs, his children – daughter Liga and son Anrijs -, and in total 19 more legal and private offshore persons related to Lembergs, including also properties registered in Gibraltar.

The document also leads to thoughts that Lembergs weather conceals things happening in the so called London’s court, or wittingly provides false information. For instance, to the question which was sent to Lembergs in late April: “Is it true that the so called London’s court has arrested accounts of the property registered in Gibraltar which belongs to you and other persons you know?” Lembergs answered to the portal: “I have no property, account or company in Gibraltar.” The London court’s international asset freeze order indicates the opposite.

Another claim against Lembergs and some other persons has been lodged in the London’s court by one of LK subsidiary companies Latmar Holdings Corporation. In terms of this claim, according to the order of London’s court approved also by the Latvia’s court, Lembergs has been prohibited to dispose, operate or reduce value of any of his assets up to 135 million US dollars. The main claimant in the case is JSC Ventpils nafta (VN) and owner of its biggest subsidiary company LK – the concern Vitol.

Lembergs’ possible relation to the privatization of LK can be compared to a classic state robbery, the portal writes. In summer 2002 the Lembergs’ controlled VN became the biggest owner of LK (in Privatization agency’s auction 51% LK shares were sold for 35.7 million lats). Materials of the criminal case reveal that informal organizers of the LK privatization were Lembergs and ex prime minister, founder of People’s Party Andris Skele who “organized” this “deal” together with several other related businessmen. The materials of the criminal case also show that three coalition parties of that time – People’s Party, Latvian Way, and For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK – were paid for the privatization of LK.

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