Aivars Lembergs

Two so called Ventspils officials’ case Judges are suspected of having «special relationships» with the accused Mayor of Ventspils Aivars Lembergs. Telephone tapping has been carried out, according to the information provided to Pietiek portal by sources close to the bureau, even though the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (CPCB) does not give any official commentaries on their performed activities.

The so called Lembergs’ case proceeding began three years ago – on February 16, 2009 and right now witness questioning is being carried out in the Court proceedings. For a long time now there have been unofficial doubts coming from the people involved in the proceedings, who do not represent Lembergs’ camp, on whether or not it is possible to expect a conviction from the Chamber led by Judge Boriss Geimans. These speculations are based on the suspicion that Lembergs could have reached an agreement from the outside of the courtroom.

Ligita Kuzmane and Irina Jansone are considered to be the weakest link in the chain of the Chamber overseeing Lembergs’ case. Sources linked to CPCB confirmed the information about tapping into the Judges’ telephone conversations. Based on all this, the information about telephone tapping on Kuzmane and Jansone was leaked long before then, because the first ones to talk about telephone tapping were Lembergs’ Court representatives.

There are unofficial rumors that the side of defense met with every Judge outside of the Courtroom as well.

As it is known the Ventspils General Prosecutor’s Office indicted mayor of Ventspils Lembergs in suspicion of his involvement in a number of grave and especially grave crimes, related to corruption (bribes, abusing power, document falsification, breach of an official’s authorities, money laundering, giving false information in an official’s declaration). The first criminal case possible related to Lembergs was filed to the Court on August 1, 2008, the second – in October of the same year, both criminal proceedings were then merged into one Court hearing.

Ref: 102.109.109.1193