2024-07-20 07:17:14
The case is related to plots of land near the Riga airport. With the decision of the Riga City Council of July 3, 2012, the municipality handed over 22 undeveloped plots of land near the Riga airport for privatization, which were sold at an auction announced by the municipality on April 15, 2022, the LETA agency was informed by the prosecutor’s office. On April 28, 2022, an installment purchase agreement was concluded between the Riga municipality and the winner of the auction, with which the mentioned plots of land were purchased.
The investigation established that a consulting contract was concluded between the winner of the auction and the company of the accused entrepreneur even before the start of the auction, with which, among other things, they agreed to provide assistance in order to achieve the best possible result in the auction of the mentioned plots of land, as well as to ensure the best possible conditions for their purchase.
In addition, a pre-contract for the purchase of land was also concluded, by which two of the above-mentioned plots of land would be sold to the company of the accused businessman, which according to LETA is SIA “Ošānis”, which would be purchased at the auction announced by the Riga City Council.
In the time period from the sale of the mentioned plots of land to the end of 2023, several decisions were made in the Riga City Court about leaving confirmation requests ignored, deciding not to confirm the change of ownership rights of the mentioned plots in the Land Registry, citing the fact that the SM did not express unequivocal consent to the case proposed by the Riga municipality for the solution of the circumstances and for consideration of the issue of the right of first refusal.
In order for the ownership rights of the purchased plots to be confirmed in the Land Registry, the accused businessman turned to the former Acting Director of the Department of Space and Mobility of the Riga City Council to offer EUR 50,000 to an official of the Ministry of Interior, using mutual acquaintances with the Ministry of Interior officials. The agency LETA already wrote that this official is a former employee of the office of Riga Mayor Vilnius Ķirš (JV), advisor to the current Minister of Transport Kaspars Briškens (“Progressives”) Jānis Meirāns.
The bribe was intended for the official, using his official position, to get the ministry to waive the right of first refusal in relation to the plots of land on the territory of the airport, and they would be transferred to the company of the winner of the auction and the successively accused businessman. Later, this intention of the two defendants was realized, the prosecutor’s office informed.
Since during the course of the investigation it was established that the offering of the bribe was made in the interests of a legal entity, the process of applying coercive measures to the legal entity was also initiated.
The case has been sent to the Court of Economic Affairs for consideration in the general procedure against the accused persons and for the application of the coercive measure “Ošanis”, LETA agency found out.
“I would like to express my gratitude to the official of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who in this particular case did not remain silent and immediately informed the law enforcement authorities about the official’s criminal actions, which resulted in a criminal trial, the discovery of a criminal offense and possibly prevented the occurrence of even more serious consequences,” said the Chief Prosecutor of the Office of Investigation of Criminal Offenses at the Service of State Institutions Jānis Omuls.
It has already been reported that the charges were initiated by the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB). KNAB started the criminal trial on January 8, 2024.
On March 27, at a press conference, Ķirsis said that the transfer of several plots of land near Riga Airport for privatization in 2012 did not take place legally. This is said to have been concluded in the evaluation of the legality of the privatization process carried out by the municipality. Deputies had incomplete information at the time of the decision.
The plots of land near the Riga airport were sold at auction on April 14, 2022. They were purchased for 5.7 million euros by the company “Cella investment 3” SIA, which is related to the real estate developer “Sirin Development”. Both these companies in the holding “ME Holding NT” registered in Lithuania.
The Lithuanian real estate developer “Sirin Development” will ask the Riga City Council to compensate for the losses caused by canceling the auction of 22 plots of land near the airport, “Sirin Development” board member Laurīns Kuzavs told LETA on March 28.
The TV3 program “Nothing personal” reported that Tomilins appeared in the story as a partner of Lithuanian investors. His company SIA “Ošānis” also initially applied for the airport auction. The Lithuanians had concluded a preliminary agreement on the sale of two plots of land to Tomilina’s company, if the auction and further events are successful, Kuzavs told the program.
“Ošanis” had also paid an advance to the Lithuanians.
As Kuzavs admitted in an earlier interview to LETA agency, the company analyzed information about what other plots of land are located in this place before the auction, because the 22 plots of land put up for auction are located in such a way that a street or road should be built.
“A couple of plots of land were located on the other side of this road, and they would not really make much sense to us. That is why we concluded a preliminary sale-purchase agreement for this land. When I am asked who Tomilin is, I understand that he is from the company with which the preliminary agreement was concluded , owner or manager. Immediately after the auction, an advance was paid. We know him and have contacted him in the context of this transaction,” said Kuzavs in an interview with LETA.
He also emphasized that “Sirin Development” has not received any offers related to bribery.
“We look at all this as two separate events. One is the sale of the land at auction. The other is this investigation into bribery. We stand for the fact that everything should be transparent and legal. That is why we immediately cooperated with all the bodies that we have All our actions are provided for in the contracts,” Kuzav emphasized.
2024-07-20 07:17:14