Corruption, Financial Services, Latvia, Legislation, Real Estate

The criminal case was opened in September 2012. 14 searches were conducted in the criminal case and seven persons were detained, including the former Riga City Council Housing and Environment Department head Arija Stabina and two employees.

The Corruption Prevention Bureau believes that the Riga City Council officials, via go-betweens, were for a long time accepting bribes from residents who wanted to receive municipal apartments in Riga. Stabina was arrested and later released on her own recognizance. She no longer works at the Riga City Council's Housing and Environment Department.

The number of counts in the case has increased from twelve to 24, and the number of suspects from seven to more than ten, said Strike.

The Corruption Prevention Bureau has established that the Riga City Council has not ensured sufficient control over municipal apartments, and, unfortunately, nothing has changed since the criminal case was opened. The Corruption Prevention Bureau has also informed the Riga City Council about shortcomings in the relevant municipal regulations, but, once again, the Riga City Council has done nothing about it.

Strike explains that the regulations need to be changed to ensure that persons to who municipal apartments is the only way to find a place to live often have to wait for their apartments for a long time as many such apartments are "sold" to those who are able to offer a bribe.