After long term operational activities officials of the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) detained the Chairperson of the Board of the Riga municipality’s JSC Riga Central Market (a/s „Rīgas Centrāltirgus”) on 9 December 2008 suspecting her in misuse of office. Within these criminal proceedings were detained three other persons – lawyer of the JSC Riga Central Market – member of the procurement commission and two private persons.
The evidences collected within the criminal proceedings are sufficient in order to recognise the Chairperson of the Board of the Riga municipality’s JSC Riga Central Market as a suspect in committing criminal offences foreseen in the Second Part of the Section 318 and in the Third Part of the Section 195 of the Criminal Law – misuse of office committed for purposes of acquiring property and laundering of the proceeds from crime. The lawyer of the Riga municipality’s JSC Riga Central Market is suspected in misuse of office committed for purposes of acquiring property (Second Part of the Section 318 of the Criminal Law).
Two private persons are recognised as suspects in supporting commission of misuse of office (Second Part of the Section 318 and Fourth Part of the Section 20 of the Criminal Law).
The initial information gathered during investigation gives sufficient grounds to believe that the public official of the JSC Riga Central Market had misused the office for a long time period for purposes of acquiring illegal benefits in amount of more than 100 000 lats.