EU – Baltic States, Latvia, Legislation, Markets and Companies, Telecomunications

Andrejs Ekis.

He still believes that the so-called "digital television affair", where the prosecutor's office ruled against Ekis, was arranged because of People's Party founder Andris Skele.

Ekis stresses that apart from Latvia, no other European Union member state has regulations which allow the arrest of a person's property in the event that he is found guilty of a crime, writes LETA.

"I would understand if this had been done in 2003, when the so-called 'digital television affair' was initiated, but now... This means that I can't do anything any more? That is an open violation of European human rights. I consider this a signal to foreign investors. As if nothing has been done to me – just a restriction on selling. But try now to go to a bank with such a 'black mark' and get any kind of financing," said the LNT director. "I have demonstrated my good faith by purchasing LNT in my own name, despite the proceedings, yet now the procurator's office has my shares arrested."

In Ekis' view, these events show why Latvia has so many offshore companies. "However, I didn't even intend to hide the fact that I had new property, but the procurator's office is trying to attract attention to itself. It seems to me that the prosecutors [Edvins] Piliksers and [Monvids] Zelcs have not worked in private business, and do not understand what it means to pay taxes and so on. Incidentally, I am responsible for 300 to 400 people, and they will be asking what is going to happen now."

Ekis believes that the affair is connected to the country's pre-election political battle.