Criminal investigation launched on former Latvian PMs charter flights
Saeima looks to criminalize deep fakes in political campaigns
The travel arrangements of Latvian Foreign Minister Krišjānis Kariņš, while he was Prime Minister from 2019-2023 are under criminal investigation for the alleged use of expensive charter flights and wasting state funds on official travel, the Latvian General Prosecutor’s office announced March 22.
According to a statement, the Prosecutor General has presented a case for criminal investigation to the Bureau for Preventing and Combating Corruption (KNAB) after a preliminary inquiry by the prosecutor found that “for special charter trips, which were organized from 2021 to 2023, larger amounts were spent than were foreseen in the contracts concluded with travel agencies for the organization of charter travel.”
The prosecutor’s action comes after a long-simmering controversy over the use of private chartered aircraft by Kariņš and some of his staff to travel to European Union meetings and other official events. While technically aimed at the legality of travel arrangements made by the State Chancellery, the investigation could cast a shadow on Kariņš reported interest in a high European Commission (EC) position.
The Latvian anti-corruption agency has been tasked to investigate the use of private charter flights by Latvian Foreign Minister Krišjānis Kariņš while he was Prime Minister from 2019-2023. The private jet in the stock photo is unrelated to travels by any Latvian government official.
Last November, the opposition United List (AS) party demanded an explanation of the former Prime Minister’s travel expenditures when a local news site reported that Kariņš had spent over EUR 600 000 of Latvian state funds on some 15 charter flights instead using commercial airlines.
In addition, the then Prime Minister had used over EUR 700 000 on charter flights funded from the EU budget. Commentators on media and on social networks said the use of taxpayer money for flying the head of the government and his staff on private charter flights was exorbitant.
Kariņš stated several times through his office, now as Foreign Minister from September last year, that the charter flights, while possibly more expensive than commercial travel, were necessary to save time for the prime minister and staff members or to return to quickly return to state business in Latvia if an international conference took longer than planned. He also has stated that his and other government travels were arranged by the State Chancellery.
The Prosecutor General’s statement notes that the Latvian State Chancellery, which is formally responsible for travel by high government officials, could bear the main responsibility for misuse of state funds
“In the time period from 2019 to 2023, in connection with the use of air transport charted services for the foreign business trips of the Prime Minister and members of the delegation, the State Chancellery may not have taken into account efficiency considerations, the set goals were not achieved with the least use of financial resources and property in the most economically advantageous way, no public procurement was held for the selection of an offer, as a result of which the State Chancellery, which is responsible for monitoring the budget of the Cabinet of Ministers, may have wasted a large amount of financial resources. Therefore, there is a real possibility that a criminal offense has occurred,” the Prosecutor-General wrote.
In a statement distributed late Friday afternoon, Kariņš said “I fully rely on the work of the law enforcement authorities and their competence to evaluate the decisions made by the State Chancellery during the time when I was performing the duties of the Prime Minister.”
Prime Minister Evika Siliņa also announced late last Friday that she had instructed several ministries to internally investigate the allegations made by the Prosecutor General and instructed the State Chancellery in cooperation with the Finance Ministry and Foreign Ministry to develop a regulatory framework for the use of special charter flight services
The Saeima, last Thursday in a preliminary vote backed draft amendments to the Criminal Law that provide criminal liability for attempts to influence election results with the help of deep fake technology. This comes ahead of the European Parliament (EP) elections in June.
The amendments establish criminal liability for the use of deep fake technologies, creating false information about political parties, candidates for the Saeima, municipal government or the EP and the dissemination of such information, knowing that it is false. This would be punished with imprisonment for a period of up to four years, short-term imprisonment, probation supervision, community service or a fine
Also, in the Saeima, the Defense, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Commission supported the draft of the Defense Industry Law, to unify regulations for defense-related industries. The new draft law will set clearer and more transparent guidelines for defense industry representatives regarding security requirements, development support and attracting investment, as well as for cooperation with the defense industry.