Corruption, EU – Baltic States, Financial Services, Latvia, Legislation, Transport

Prosecutor General's Office spokeswoman confirmed to LETA that over EUR 5 million was given in bribes, and that one of those involved in the affair had appropriated almost EUR 1 million of a bribe meant for a certain official.

As reported, earlier this week, the Prosecutor General's Office handed over the so-called Daimler affair to the Riga Central District Court.

There are currently six persons officially charged in the Daimler bribery affair – ex-Riga Mayor Gundars Bojars' then-advisor on transport affairs and Rigas satiksme council deputy chairman, Leonards Tenis, the director of a company registered in Sweden, Raimonds Krastins, businessman Sergejs Zambers, a certain Agris Korosevskis, as well as Bojars' then-advisor Armands Zeihmanis and his wife, Vita Zeihmane.

Tenis has been charged for repeated bribe-taking in large amounts. The bribes, according to the prosecutor, were taken not only from Daimler group company Evo Bus, but also from other public transportation bus and trolley-bus manufacturers – Ikarus Special Coach Factory Ltd., Neoplan Polska (currently named Solaris Bus&Coach) and Ganz Transelektro Traction Electrics.

Tenis is suspected of taking bribes in various currencies, but the prosecutor did not reveal the total amount taken by Tenis. She did say that bribes worth LVL 1.09 million were taken from Evo Bus.

LETA also reported, information received from investigators in the United States indicates that Riga City Council officials feature in three incidences of bribery in connection with the German auto manufacturer Daimler.

The officials received bribes from Daimler so that it would win public transportation purchase tenders in Riga. The Daimler manufactured ''Mercedes Benz'' public transportation buses were eventually purchased by the Riga municipal public transportation company Rigas satiksme. A total of 117 ''Mercedes Benz'' buses were purchased by the municipal company between 2002 and 2006.

According to case materials from the U.S., between 1998 and 2008 the German concern paid at least USD 56 million (LVL 32.25 million) in bribes in 22 countries, including over EUR 5 million in Latvia.