Baltic States – CIS, Banks, Financial Services, Legislation

Valerijs Belokons.

"TV3" show "Neka personiga" (Nothing Personal) reported yesterday that eight persons from Latvia are in the "Interpol's" database of internationally-wanted persons. Three of them worked at Belokons' bank in Kyrgyzstan: Anita Lase, Jevgenijs Verbickis and Jurijs Kacnovs, writes LETA.

Bishkek Court, in reports to "Interpol", has accused Lase, Verbickis and Kacnovs of money laundering and involvement in international and organized crime.

Latvian Prosecutor General's Office has not received any extradition warrant for these persons, and Bishkek Court employees have not been able to delegate a representative to explain "TV3" the reasons for the international arrest warrant for the three persons.

Verbickis worked as Manas bank board chairman, whereas Lase and Kacnovs were members of the bank's council.

Belokons' trouble in Kyrgyzstan began last spring. Before that, Belokons had grandiose business plans for Kyrgyzstan, which in large part was thanks to his close business ties with the Kyrgyz president's family. The president's son – Maxim Bakiyev, worked on Belokons' brewery "Kimmels Riga's" council, and thanks to the friendly relationship, Belokons was able to buy a bank in Kyrgyzstan.

However, the fall of Kurmanbek Bakiyev's regime also meant an end to Belokons' business. His bank was expropriated, whereas the bank's managers were accused of financial fraud and involvement in squandering of national funds. Belokons' partner, Maxim Bakiyev, was accused of defrauding Kyrgyzstan of a very large sum of money.

A year ago, when Maxim Bakiyev fled Kyrgyzstan to Latvia, he was also put on "Interpol's" list of wanted persons. Bakiyev was never apprehended by Latvian police, as the prosecutor's office was waiting for further information from the Kyrgyz colleagues. When all the necessary documents were received and the police started to look for Bakiyev, he could no longer be found in Latvia.

As "Neka personiga" has established, Lase and Kacnovs presently live in Latvia.

Lase informed the broadcast that Kyrgyz authorities' investigation was a provocation. She said that Kyrgyzs had on several occasions claimed bribes from Belokons so Manas bank’s problems could be "resolved", although Kyrgyzstan's financial investigative service had concluded already in April that there had been no violations in the bank's operations.

Latvian Financial and Capital Market Commission told "TV3" that Belokons' employees could continue to live in Latvia without worrying about Kyrgyz authorities' activities, because Latvia does not extradite its citizens to countries with which it has not signed bilateral extradition agreements.