Energy, EU – Baltic States, Latvia, Legislation, Oil, Port, Transport

Rudolf Meroni.

The right to manage these shares – over 50% of Ventbunkers shares that are believed to actually belong to Lembergs – is now held by the London office of the auditing company KPMG, as the London High Court decided this past April. In May, the London High Court's decision was upheld by Ventspils Court.

"Pietiek.com" reports that, judging from information it has on the case, the administrator of said Ventbunkers shares has been replaced to ensure that these assets cannot be sold or otherwise seized while the case is being investigated. According to unofficial information, Meroni may have acted in bad faith and tried to secretly sell the controlling interest in Ventbunkers he was in charge of for EUR 30 million.

As reported, a total of thirty companies turned to the High Court of England claiming that USD 135 million be seized from Lembergs, accusing him and his associates of pocketing as much from the Latvian shipping company Latvijas Kugnieciba, a subsidiary of Ventspils nafta (VN). To prove that Lembergs can indeed pay this much, Vitol, VN's major shareholder, has submitted to the court a list of his property, including the 50% stake in Ventbunkers that are believed to belong to Lembergs. The Latvian Prosecutor General's Office entrusted Meroni with administering these shares, as well as those in other companies, believed to belong to Lembergs: Kalija parks, Ventspils tirdzniecibas osta, etc.