Financial Services, Internet, Latvia, Legislation, Technology

Valdis Voins.

Voins stressed that a more calm and systematic phase had been in the investigation of the data leak, in which technical specialists were studying the data which was acquired by IT specialist Ilmars Poikans and establishing what categories of data were acquired – was this mainly information which was fit for publication, or was this personal information or company information which was not, writes LETA.

Voins stressed that Ilmars Poikans is still the suspect in the case, while Latvian State Television journalist Ilze Nagle is a witness. At present, police are assessing whether a larger group may have been involved.

According to the police chief, it must be established which actions were of a criminal nature. "We must assess the State Revenue Service's responsibility for the protection of the database. But we have no doubt that a criminal act has taken place," added Voins.

Concerning the fact that the public's attitude towards the case, that Neo did a good deed by publishing officials' salaries, similar to Jurii Detochkin in the Soviet-era comedy "Sargies auto!" ("Watch out for the car!") where the main hero steals bad people's cars and gives the money to children, Voins commented: "Yes, but Detochkin was also tried in court, even though he had done a good deed."

Voins believes that it would dangerous to start to divide criminal acts into good and bad. "The rulebook is the same for everybody. The police are not given opportunities and powers to interpret them in such a way so that if a person has committed a criminal act guided by high-minded intentions, then the case will not be investigated and a criminal process will not be brought. Only a court has the opportunity to assess whether there has been a threat to society, whether harm has been done, whether this is significant or not, and then either apply a punishment or free from punishment," explains Voins.

As reported, University of Latvian IT specialist Ilmars Poikans was arrested at the beginning of May in connection with the leak of a large amount of data from the SRS's Electronic Declaration System. Poikans later admitted that he was the mysterious "Neo" who had carried out the act and later publicized data on public sector salaries.