Construction, Financial Services, Insurance, Latvia, Legislation, Real Estate

BTA has hired an international independent fire investigation expert from Great Britain to promptly determine the cause of the fire at the Riga Castle. Unfortunately, the expert is denied access to any information from the State Police, which raises the question if state officials are truly interested in establishing the circumstances of the fire, BTA says in a statement to the media, urging state officials not to put any obstacles to foreign experts' work in order to determine the actual cause of the Riga Castle fire.

BTA has insured all kinds of construction risks during the Riga Castle reconstruction during the period from October 23, 2012 to June 30, 2015.

The British expert, Robert Edwards says that he has been investigating various fires in a number of countries for eleven years already, and the investigation always proceeds according to the scheme where the location is inspected, eyewitnesses and rescue crew members are interviewed, and available materials are analyzed, followed by a discussion among all the experts involved to exchange information and evidence, and eventually a joint decision is taken on the cause of a given fire.

This method has worked perfectly up until the investigation of the Riga Castle fire, because the State Police did not allow Edwards to interview Fire and Rescue Service officers – who could provide valuable information for the investigation. While it is not unusual in other countries, too, that investigators may not interview the persons involved, the investigative authorities do present facts that accelerate the investigation process. Thanks to modern technologies, a fire may be investigated even if there is limited evidence or information, but such investigation will take longer and cost more, comments Edwards.

If all the experts involved in the investigation come together and exchange evidence and information they have, there will be no need in non-standard investigative methods, and the cause of the fire will be established much sooner, believes Edwards.

BTA is perplexed at the State Police officials' attitude and unwillingness to provide the relevant information to the expert, and the company notes that this may be in violation of the Criminal Procedure Law.

BTA board member Oskars Hartmanis, on behalf of the company, calls on all the experts involved in the investigation to exchange what evidence and facts they may have in order to establish the cause of the fire as soon as possible.

BTA is the insurer of all construction risks during the Riga Castle reconstruction works, as well as of SBRE's civil liability. On the other hand, the Riga Castle building has been insured by the joint-stock insurance company Baltijas Apdrosinasanas nams.

As reported, state joint-stock real estate management company Valsts nekustamie ipasumi (VNI) has ordered SBRE to continue liquidation of the Riga Castle fire, also announcing that this work would not be covered with money from the state budget – either the construction company or the insurers would have to do that. Therefore, VNI turned to Baltijas apdrosinasanas nams, whereas SBRE turned to BTA.

SBRE previously said the fire was not its fault and that the fire had started in rooms that the construction company's workers had no access to.

The police have opened a criminal case on the fire.