President of the Bank of Latvia Ilmar Rimshevich was accused of receiving a bribe of 250 thousand euros, as well as illegally paid a trip to fishing in Kamchatka.
According to prosecutor Viorica Jirgene, two shareholders of Trasta Komercbanka bank voluntarily reported on corruption to law enforcement agencies and therefore will not be prosecuted, reports Tampabay.
Jirgene said that in 2010 one of the shareholders asked the President of the Central Bank of Rimsevich to help Trasta Komercbanka cope with the problems with the financial regulator by promising to pay Rimsevich a trip to Kamchatka in exchange for his services.
The second episode occurred in 2012, when the shareholders of Trasta Komercbanka applied for help to Rimshevich, “they agreed that a bribe of 500 thousand euro will be given,” the prosecutor said. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the entrepreneur Martins Martinson served as an intermediary.
Rimsevich himself said that the assumption that he can not pay for fishing, “seems simply incredible.” “I completely deny all these accusations,” he stressed. Rimsevich became a suspect in bribery in February, when he was questioned by the Latvian anti-corruption authorities.
He says that he is a victim of an advertising campaign of commercial companies. Latvian prosecutors also accused businessman Maris Martinson of mediating bribery. Thus, Rimsevich and Martinson are in danger of three to 11 years in prison.
Rimsevich was forbidden to do his work. However, he can not be fired by the government, because the Central Bank is a politically independent organization.
At the time of the investigation, the official was removed from his post, and a written undertaking not to leave his place was taken from him. In addition, Rimsevic is forbidden to communicate with a certain circle of people, and he can not participate in the meetings of the European Central Bank (ECB).
