Janis Urbanovics and Dzintars Zakis

If Latvia followed Western European standards, then the leader of Unity Saeima faction Dzintars Zakis and Harmony Centre (HC) leader Janis Urbanovics would need to resign from office, believes Providus public policy office researcher Valts Kalnins.

As it was previously reported, Zakis is accused of VAT avoidance, when buying his new car, but Urbanovics – is accused of attempting to cheat 20% of his deputy salary, by registering for a Saeima meeting he never attended.

In Urbanovics’ case, the situation is even more unacceptable, even though the amount is smaller than that of in Zakis’ case, says Kalnins. But politicians’ decisions depend on the party’s voters, and the question is – does Urbanovics feel the pressure from the people who voted for HC? In Western Europe, politicians often resign not because they accept their guilt, but because they feel the pressure from the people, the researcher adds.

Kalnins previously pointed that Zakis could, at least, leave the post of Chairman of Saeima faction in the interest of his party, because any attempts to buy back the Volvo XC60 from his company will «only be a patch».

It was previously reported that Pietiek.com received information that Zakis bought a new Volvo XC60 at the turn of the year, and avoided paying the state a VAT amount of 8800 EUR (6160 LVL). The published e-mail correspondence with Mūsa Motors Rīga depicts the necessity to pay 1000 EUR (700 LVL) to some intermediary company in Lithuania, in order to realize a tax avoidance scheme.

Zakis has satisfied the requirements of his faction, to resolve the incident with the car purchase, – he apologized, expressed his guilt and promised to pay the VAT, and buy back the car from his company.

Meanwhile, the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (CPCB) has begun an investigation into Urbanivics’ attempt to cheat 20% from his Saeima deputy salary on April 26, 2012 by making a deal with some unidentified person, who registered Urbanovics as if he was present at the parliamentary meeting in Moscow.

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