The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (CPCB) has detained several Riga City Council officials, who are feared to have been involved in corruption, says Jaroslavs Strelcenoks, head of the anti-corruption body.

He refuses to provide more details, not revealing whether any arrests have been made.

More information will follow in the coming days, Strelcenoks says.

It should be added that the Bureau has opened a criminal case.

The bureau’s officers are investigating several leads and work is under way to obtain new evidence, says CPCB spokesman Andris Vitenburgs.

“There will be no comment about the case for the time being, but the public will be informed as soon as the bureau’s investigators charge the suspected culprits and are certain that releasing such information will not hamper further investigation.”

As reported, on Monday, September 17, the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau searched the Housing and Environment Department of Riga City Council.

Riga Mayor Nils Usakovs says he is not aware of the reasons for the search.

He confirms that the office of Arija Stabina has been searched. She is a senior official at the Riga City Council’s Housing and Environment Department responsible for distribution of municipal apartments.

“Riga City Council does not have much information about the search, but an audit would commence tomorrow to check the entire process of the distribution of municipal apartments dating back to 2009,” Usakovs says.

He adds that he does not know what Stabina is suspected of, pointing out that 2,800 residents received municipal apartments last year, including 150 who did not have to wait in line.

Officials at the City Council assume that Stabina is being blamed for demanding an additional fee for housing allocation.

According to another version, some documents might have been forged.

Ref: 102.105.105.2529