Elīna Siliņa

Riga International airport stopped an almost million LVL worth procurement procedure after a firm that is affiliated with the backing of the so called six independent MPs failed to win, Pietiek portal reports.

MP Elīna Siliņa, the company intermediary owned by her civil husband Andris Treijs RBSSKALS pretended for a massive contract with the capital company of the politically supervised Transport Ministry by the independent six, denies any involvement in a possible lobbying through the six’s representative in the Board of the airport, Kaspars Ozoliņš.

The approximately million LVL worth contract for three years regarding the cleaning of the airport’s premises was cancelled one and a half months ago. The official reason, mentioned by officials – is that it would not be economically beneficial for the airport to entrust the leaning procedure of the airport’s premises to outsourcing services. Unofficially, on the other hand, it looks as though the tender was closed after several weeks of «political struggle» the attempt to make sure that a “specific firm” wins the tender failed. The price offer of the RBSSKALS was only the second best.

Siliņa’s husband is not listed as an official of RBSSKALS. However, he intermediately owns Damma Company, which is the only owner of RBSSKALS, and owns 26.57% of capital shares of RBSSKALS, according to the data from Lursoft. The remaining 73.43% belong to the owner of RBSSKALS Māris Saukāns. These two are the only Board members of Damma. Siliņa denies any involvement of the six’s influence on the procurement process in the interest of her civil husband’s business. Even Ozoliņš, who was appointed in the ministry’s bureau and the Board of the airport shortly after the six’s entry in the Transport Ministry (TM), claims: «I am not dependent on them and I do not follow their orders».

Siliņa’s explanations about Ozoliņš’ activities within the TM revealed one fact that was rigorously denied by all sides – that he was the chosen person of this group of MPs. «He is our recommended person in the TM, who, the same way as Klāvs Olšteins [TM parliamentary secretary], keeps us informed about everything that is going on there. He is my former classmate and a childhood friend whom I trust,» – Siliņa describes Ozoliņš, who was previously only described as a lawyer of Valmiera City Council, whose CV accidentally ended up on the table of the Transport Minister Aivis Ronis.

The thought to entrust the cleaning of the airport’s premises to an outsourcing was related to the airport’s plan to finally free itself from specific, non-typical functions and relatively small, but meticulous household tenders: toilet paper, liquid soap and other goods.

The tender was progressing fine until spring, but then, using the words of one involved official, «a political struggle erupted». When looking through the price offers of seven firms, it was discovered that the best offer was not the one of RBSSKALS, but the one of Cleanhouse, the price offer of which was by 76 015.86 LVL smaller than that of the firm related to the political six. The price offer of RBSSKALS for providing its services for three years was 1 021 129.02 LVL, but Cleanhouse offered to do the same amount of work and for the same amount of time for 945 113.16 LVL.

After several weeks of internal fights that did not give any worthwhile arguments on how to reach the signing of the contract with the «right firm», it was decided to close the tender, the announcement of which was published on the official website of IUB. Ozoliņš denies his involvement , he as the youngest member of the Board was only acquainted with the tender only after it was already initiated. The procurement procedure is closed, because «the economic gains were not accounted for». Chairman of Riga airport Arnis Luhse previously told Pietiek the reason for the cancellation, that the airport’s cleaners’ association was concerned that it would not be possible to preserve the established airport’s order with the new firm.

It was the dissatisfaction of the airport’s cleaners that was said to be the main reason for the tender’s cancellation to the winner of the tender Cleanhouse. The company did not comment, but the Latvian Professional Cleaning and Management Association, one of the members of which is this firm, believes that this was not the only reason for the cancellation of the tender.

Ref: 103.109.109.2532