Corruption, Latvia, Legislation, Transport

CPB investigators suspect a Transportation Department official of demanding a bribe, in the form of regular payments to a trade union, in return for a favorable decision on passenger transportation in the city, CPB representative Inta Saboha informed LETA.

There are two suspects in the case. One of them is suspected of demanding a large bribe, the other – of supporting these illegal activities.

According to the Criminal Law's Section 320, Part 2, the applicable punishment for demanding a bribe is deprivation of liberty for up to ten years with or without property confiscation and relinquishing the right to hold certain positions for up to five years.

Saboha confirmed that the CPB carried out a search at the Riga City Council's Transportation Department yesterday. In accordance with the law, the municipality's representatives were present during the search and informed about the reasoning behind it.

As reported, yesterday, the CPB searched the Riga City Council's Transportation Department.

Riga Mayor Nils Usakovs (Harmony Center) wrote in his "Twitter" account that the search could be connected with the so-called "blizzard tickets" affair – free public transportation on heavy snow days.

"Soon, the CPB will be investigating cars parked illegally. Elections 2013," Usakovs wrote ironically.

Municipal public transportation company Rigas satiksme tender for the organization of routed taxicab service in Riga was one of the latest passenger transportation tenders in Riga. It was won by Rigas mikroautobusu satiksme, a company formerly associated with Aleksandrs Brandavs, a member of the Riga City Council's coalition party Honor to Serve Riga. The CPB however, did not establish a conflict of interest in the tender.