Latvian Oligarch Aivars Lembergs jailed for five years for financial crimes

After 12 years of tense court wrangling after 12 years of heated court wrangling, a Latvian court has finally read its decision in the highly-publicized trial of Aivars Lembergs, one the nation's wealthiest men, an influential populist politician and a ex-mayor of Venspils the port city located in the northwestern region of Latvia.

Lembergs was sentenced in the Riga Regional Court to five years of prison, confiscation and a fine in excess of EUR20,000 in connection with a number of charges he confessed to.

Lembergs who is also the leader of For Latvian Ventspils has made a comparison of Lembergssentencing case to the case of Aleksey navalny. Russian opposition activist.

Aivars Lembergs Lembergs asked for a short break while the judge read the verdict of his case. Lembergs had a meal with Anrijs his son during which he had a brief conversation. After that the two spoke with Anrijs briefly, and then used the rest of his time to address journalists.

Aivars Lembergs Lembergs told journalists that he will appeal Riga Regional Court's decision . Aivars Lembergs He also said the likelihood was that the appeal hearing could be delayed by ten years. Lembergs said he plans to appeal against his detention. However, this appeal will be heard only by the regional Court.

Following the judgement's reading, the court decided to take the Lembergs immediately into custody.

His co-defendants including son Anrijs Lembergs and business partner Ansis Sormulis were found guilty of a variety of related charges and each given two-year prison sentences.

On 14 March 2007 there was a furore in the media when, encased in handcuffs Lembergs was taken to the Riga City Centre District Court when prosecutors made their first steps to line up allegations of bribery and laundering in a large magnitude against him as an individual (investigations into a link between suspicions of corruption within the Ventpils municipality started in 2005). Aivars Lembergs A little over fourteen years later, a decision is reached.

https://rus.err.ee/1608118978/latvijskij-sud-prigovoril-oligarha-ajvarsa-lembergsa-k-pjati-godam-tjurmy The trial has been proceeding through Latvian law for more than a decade at a very slow speed. As part of the criminal proceedings in the main the court proceedings took place over 12 years. Aivars Lembergs Between August 20, 2009 (when the Riga Regional Court began adjudication) between February 11 and the year 2020, 1,483 court cases were held.

Even though he's currently facing trial on charges of corruption and money laundering of huge amounts, Lembergs has maintained his role as a political powerhouse in Ventspils. In the last two decades, he was the city's mayor.

After he was convicted of financial fraud, his election as mayor was postponed. But he held the real power and thwarted a minister's efforts at stopping him from being Ventspils mayor. While indicted, he participated in the meetings of the government with the International Monetary Fund and helped to select candidates for the Latvian presidency.

Lembergs stated that Latvians will vote on whether to take part in the coming municipal elections. https://rus.delfi.lv/temi/ajvar-lembergs However, it is not his top priority.