Corruption, Crime, Latvia, Legislation, Transport

Bemhens will be released from custody when the bail is paid to the Treasury.

Bemhens was absent from the court and participated in today’s hearing via a video conference from the prison hospital in Olaine.

Bemhens’ lawyer Varis Klotins gave no comments to the press after the court hearing.

As reported, the Corruption Prevention Bureau has started a criminal case on three procurement tenders organized by Rigas Satiksme: 2016 tender to buy low-floor trams for a total of EUR 62,597,477, 2013 tender to buy trolley-buses for a total of EUR 131,646,135, and one more 2013 tender to buy buses worth EUR 75,808,297. The criminal procedure investigates bribery and money laundering in relation to these procurement tenders.

In early December 2018, the Riga City Vidzeme District Court decided to leave six of the seven suspects in the case in custody - businessman and member of Honor to Serve Riga party Aleksandrs Krjaceks, former Rigas Satiksme's Infrastructure Maintenance and Development Department head Igors Volkinsteins, former Rigas Satiksme board chairman Leons Bemhems, Skoda Transportation manager Vladislav Kozak, businessman Maris Martinsons - who is also implicated in other criminal cases, and businessman Edgars Teterovskis.

Rigas Satiksme board stepped down after the investigation started. Riga Vice Mayor Andris Ameriks (Honot to Serve Riga) stepped down as well. Searches have been conducted in Ameriks’ place of residence, and later also in the office and place of residence of Riga Mayor Nils Usakovs (Harmony).