Corruption, Latvia, Legislation, Markets and Companies, Security

Lawyers collected a stack of documents to prove that information published in newspaper is false. All this correspondence with state and business structures and with the newspaper is at disposal of BC. We are going to familiarize our readers with some fragments from letters. This story is worth to be told about.

First reply to the request from lawyer Jelena Kvjatkovska to recall the false information came on April 27, 2015 from Director of LLC Mediju nams I. Berzina. In this reply it is stated that “at disposal of author there is information provided by the Public Relations Department within the State Police that State Police announced an international search of V.Vashkevich on February 18, 2015 and information about wanted person is placed into Schengen and Interpol Information Systems.” I. Berzina also writes: “Newspaper office of NRA never allowed spreading of false information, so it takes no responsibility for violating honour and dignity of a person”.

An e-mail as of April 22, 2015 was sent to journalist of Neatkarīga Antra Gabre by senior specialist of Public Relations Department within the State Police Dairis Anucans and he states that: “State Police announced an international search of Vladimir Vashkevich on February 18 this year. Information about wanted person is placed into Schengen and Interpol Information Systems.” Editor-in-chief of Neatkarīga Anita Daukshte on July 15, 2015 had sent a printout of this e-mail to lawyer Kvjatkovska after another request of her; Anita Daukshte also quoted article 24 of “Law On the Press and Other Mass Media” which states that: “A journalist has the right to gather information by any method not prohibited by law and from any source of information not prohibited by law”.

A reply from Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Latvia to the request by lawyer O. Rode was received on May 12, 2015. Senior Prosecutor of Prosecutor General’s Department M. Adlers informed that in criminal proceedings against Vladimir Vashkevich “a decision on search of him was never made, including the international search… So, on February 18 (2015 – editor’s note) such decision was not made and could not be made”.

On May 13, 2015 Prosecutor General’s Office via prosecutor of international cooperation A.Valce informed defence counsel of Vashkevich, sworn attorney-at-law Jelena Kvjatkovska: “… to get information about the information placed in Schengen Information System one have to address to corresponding director of criminal proceedings to get the permission to access such information. In current moment Riga Ziemelu region court is the director of mentioned criminal proceedings.”

J. Kvjatkovska received replies to her questions to Riga Ziemelu region court on June 5, 2015. Questions were the following:

2) Was the information about Vladimir Vashkevich placed into Information Systems of Schengen and Interpol in 2015?

The answer of judge of Ziemelu region court was brief and to the point: «…Director of proceedings never made decisions on announcing international search of Vladimir Vashkevich in 2015… At disposal of the court there is no precise information on if V. Vashkevich was placed in international cooperation Information Systems right now.”

Looks pretty clear. For Neatkarīga it remained only to apologize and recall publication, display a disproof prominently in printed material and in article itself in internet. We hope it will happen.

Unfortunately we failed to get a comment from Neatkarīga editor-in-chief A.Daukshte as long as she is on vacation over the sea right now. We hope that when she’ll come back, she will give her comment on the situation taking into account the aforementioned information, so BC will be able to complete this publication with her opinion (luckily the internet allows).

We are respectful to popular newspaper and editor-in-chief thereof, by we are surprised that experienced journalist A.Gabre used only a reply from State Police in her publication and didn’t tried at least to get information from Vashkevich’s lawyer, for everything to be correct. Or take consultation from lawyers in which situations an international search of a person is being announced. According to Article 685 of the Law on Criminal Proceedings “An international search of a person is being announced if whereabouts of such person is unknown”. Media and the same Neatkarīga article informed that V. Vashkevich is located in Austria for the last 1,5 years multiple times. Moreover, it is known that Austrian Court refused to extradite V. Vashkevich to Latvia taking into account the danger to his life here. And of course State Police was informed about that.  

V. Vashkevich’s spouse Inara Vilkaste recently returned from Vienna, BC addressed to her to get comments, and she said that in case if newspaper will not recall the false information, lawyers will have to go to the court against Neatkarīga newspaper. This absurd correspondence with state institutions and press continues for almost five months. So, another half of year is taken away from people’s lives.

“Misinformation in media, discrediting the name of V. Vashkevich continues its dirty deed – Inara Vilkaste said. – Another irrecoverable damage to Vladimir Vashkevich and his family members was made by Neatkarīga publication. And the situation could not be saved by recall of information. Maybe 20% of people who will read the recall will doubt. But for other 80% the article, published on April 1, 2015 just implanted the negative opinion on the Vashkevich’s case, skillfully created these years. Spreading of false information via media we are facing in this case, is another bright confirmation of facts, described in the book “Assault on the state. “Inconvenient Vashkevich”” published this year.

The question is still open: why State Police needed to spread false information via press about long lasting case of Vilkaste-Vashkevich? A big question!