Other events in Baltic States

Today, Riga Central District Court has decided to extend for another three months the pretrial investigation in the criminal case against Ventspils Mayor Aivars Lembergs, who has been charged with a number of serious crimes, LETA was informed by the court.

The deadline for the investigation is now set for July 20.

The Prosecutor General's Office petitioned the court last week with an appeal for more time for the pretrial investigation.

As reported, Riga Central District Court previously prolonged the pre-trial investigation in the criminal probe against Lembergs for three months on January 9. The term for this extension ends April 20.

As reported, the so-called “Ventspils affair" or investigation into possible corruption on the part of Ventspils officials, began on October 3, 2005, based on a criminal probe into the possible wrongdoing by the officials.

Another case was separated from the above case and on July 20, 2006 Lembergs was charged with repeated bribe-taking on an especially large scale, money laundering and misuse of power. Lembergs had received LVL 453,000 in dividends from the Switzerland-registered company Multinord AG's shares, which he had accepted as a bribe.

Lembergs rejects the charges against him, calling them politically motivated.

His son, Anrijs Lembergs, is suspected of laundering of proceeds from criminal activity, done repeatedly, on a large scale, or in an organized group. Anrijs Lembergs is also suspected of unlawful participation in property transactions.

Mamerts Vaivads, council chairman at Ventspils nafta (VN), entrepreneurs Krists Skuja and Laimonis Junkers, Gita Grasmane, employee at the Ventspils Port logistics company Ventspils ekspedicija logistika KS, and Gints Laivins-Laivenieks, an attorney working in Ventspils are being held under suspicion of money laundering done repeatedly and on a large scale. Sormulis is suspected of large-scale money laundering and aiding and abetting bribery.

They all have denied the charges brought against them.

Lembergs was arrested on March 14 last year, the Riga Regional Court changed his custody to house arrest on July 20. On February 22 the Kurzeme District Court lifted the house arrest but set a number of other restrictions for him.