Latvia, Legislation, Markets and Companies

Bojars wrote on his ''Twitter'' account that he is leaving with only the best feeling towards his colleagues, but with sad feelings towards the way the company is being run.

According to several media experts, the reason why Bojars was released was most likely due to the fact that he had become too ''uncomfortable'' for the newspaper's owners.

Commenting the situation at Diena, media expert and Riga Stradins University Professor Anda Rozukalne told the business information portal Nozare.lv that Bojars previously said that the work of the editorial staff will be independent, "which turned out to be a very short period of independence.''

As reported, after a meeting with the board of Latvian newspaper Diena earlier this week, social and market research agency Latvijas fakti director and co-owner, Aigars Freimanis, was appointed the newspaper's chief editor.

Freimanis has already assumed his duties.

Bojars was offered to continue working at Diena, managing and developing the concern's multimedia platforms.

LETA also reported, the actual owners of the newspaper Diena, at least the moment Viesturs Koziols became the formal owner of the newspaper's controlling interest in the summer of 2010, were Latvia's so-called oligarchs Ainars Slesers, Andris Skele and Aivars Lembergs, the portal "pietiek.com" reports, based on the Corruption Prevention Bureau's findings during investigation into the so-called "oligarch case".

Diena was acquired via Rigas tirdzniecibas osta's (Riga Commercial Port, RTO), which, as the investigators believe, actually belongs, via a number of in-between companies, to Slesers, Skele and Lembergs. The acquisition of Diena was looked into as part of the investigation into property – including RTO – that actually belongs to the three oligarchs.

Corruption Prevention Bureau officers were tapping Slesers' phone and bugging his meetings at the "Ridzene" hotel for a lengthy period. As a result, information was obtained that Diena actually belongs to the three said politicians, whereas the official owners were mere "managers" for the three, via which Diena, as well as other enterprises, were run.

The evidence obtained during the investigation shows that Slesers at one point owned a 36% stake in Diena, Skele 24% and Lembergs 20%, whereas RTO board chairman and co-owner Ralfs Klavins the other 20% in the newspaper, "pietiek.com" writes.

Klavins was convinced to finance the Diena acquisition deal by Slesers, who argued that RTO and Dienas mediji, a mass medium that had an influence on the political process, should be viewed as a whole, because many decisions regarding RTO would depend on who is appointed premier and transport minister, and who would work in other ministries that participate in the selection of RTO board members.

The future of Diena was discussed at several meetings of the three oligarchs and their representatives at the time, which took place at Skele's office on Dzirnavu Street, according to the findings. All decisions regarding the newspaper's management were coordinated with Slesers, Lembergs and Skele. In meetings with Slesers, Koziols said he would make sure that the newspaper works in the interest of the three, and that they would not be criticized by it.