Aivars Lembergs

Year after year the amounts depicted in the state official’s declaration of the Mayor of Ventspils Aivars Lembergs remain to be some of the most impressive. Lembergs, who was engaged in Court proceedings last year, paid nearly 400 thousand LVL for judicial services, Latvian Radio reports.

It is worth noting that nearly no attention is turned to the fact that for several years now, the salary of the Chairman of Ventspils City Council makes up a small proportion of Lembergs’ income – he receives much larger amounts as the manager in a number of associations.

Aside from the post of the Mayor of Ventspils, Lembergs also stated many other posts, all of which are managing positions, in the state official declaration. He is the Chairman of the Board of the Ventspils Free port, the leader of the For Latvia and Ventspils Party, as well as the President of the Ventspils basketball club. Also, Lembergs leads many other associations: he is the President or the Chairman of the Board of the Latvian Transit Business Association, the Ventspils Development Agency, Association of Latvian Ports, and the Business Development Association.

It is from the last association that Lembergs received his largest salary last year – 132 thousand LVL. Those are 11 thousand LVL per month – almost as much as Ventspils City Council paid the Mayor in one year. Lembergs’ annual association report states: there is only one worker in the organization. Last year the association received 1 000 LVL in membership fees, all the while their expenses were impressive. 132 thousand LVL paid in salaries, clearly to Lembergs himself, and more than 30 thousand LVL were used in social insurance payments. Of the 11 founders – Ventspils businessmen – only four remain in the association. Whether or not they are still active is a matter of debate.

The association’s annual reports state that form 2002 and onwards their annual income was made up largely of financial assistance from a number of companies. First, an annual transfer of 125 thousand LVL from Ventspils nafta, then, Ventspils nafta terminals donated 140 thousand LVL for three years. Latvian Shipping Company took up the role of a donor starting from 2007. In 2007, it transferred 178 thousand LVL to the association, and two more transfers of 140 thousand LVL in the next two years.

One other important insight into the finances of the Mayor of Lembergs was brought by Pietiek.com portal. Namely, by the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court and the London Commercial Court which created some problems for the Mayor of Ventspils Aivars Lembergs in the end of April, by requesting a full report from the oligarch’s daughter – Liga Lemberga – about all her assets the value of which does not exceed 10 000 GBP.

Lembergs stated in the income section of his state official’s declaration for 2011 the 328 540.10 GBP he received from his daughter Liga Lemberga, noting in the income origin section that this amount is «other income». His daughter’s bank accounts were at least partially used to clear Lemberg’s expenses at the London Court last year.

Also, in one if the documents, which Lemberg’s handed in the Queen’s Bench Division of the High Court and the London Commercial Court, the Mayor explains, that he is «not a very wealthy person», which is why the Court declared 132 540.08 GBP «were paid by my daughter Liga Lemberga, for I do not have that kind of amount of money myself».

Ref: 103.109.109.1433