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International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Thursday, 28.03.2024, 16:47

Latvian Environmental Investment Fund suspends financing for Ventspils Music School project on corruption suspicions

BC, Riga, 05.06.2019.Print version
In relation to a possible corruption scandal in the project of Ventspils Music School, the Latvian Environment Investment Fund (LVIF) has suspended financing to the project, according to the Latvian Environment Protection and Regional Development Ministry information reported LETA.

The ministry explained that the project received financing under the EU Emission Allowances Auction for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the project is supervised by LVIF.


In relation to reports on the possible corruption scandal, LVIF has demanded information on assessment of the fire safety of the newly built Ventspils Music School as well as other aspects of the project. Meanwhile, payments in the project have been suspended.


As reported, the Internal Security Bureau has detained four officials of the Kurzeme regional brigade of the State Fire and Rescue Service, including both vice commanders, on suspicions of accepting bribes in the process of assessing the fire safety of the newly built Ventspils Music School.


The Kurzeme regional brigade of the State Fire and Rescue Service is headquartered in Liepaja. The Internal Security Bureau has detained the brigade's vice commanders Romans Andrijausks and Mursals Kerimovs, according to information obtained by LETA.


Meanwhile, a representative of Merks-Ostas Celtnieks general partnership, as well as the owner and an employee of VPM Latvija have been detained for bribing the State Fire and Rescue Service's officials in order to secure a favorable assessment of the new building's compliance with fire safety requirements. VPM Latvija was the company in charge of supervising the construction project's fire safety solutions.


Construction of the new building of the music school and concert hall in the center of the northwestern Latvian port city of Ventspils began in February 2017. The floor space of the new building housing both the music school and concert hall is 6,883 square meters.


Merks-Ostas Celtnieks won the tender to build the music school and concert hall for EUR 25,630,451 (exclusive of VAT). Merks-Ostas Celtnieks is a general partnership uniting Merks and Ostas Celtnieks construction firms. Merks belongs to Estonia's Oshausing Merko Investments and businessman Konstantins Bursakovskis is the key owner of Ostas Celtnieks, according to information available at Firmas.lv.






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