The Riga Regional Court of Appeal on Wednesday found former Ventspils mayor and current Ventspils city council lawmaker Aivars Lembergs (For Latvia and Ventspils) guilty of a number of corruption offences, but reduced his prison sentence by one year.
The court sentenced him to four years in prison and confiscation of his property. The Court of Appeal decided to include Lembergs’ detention and time spent under house arrest in his prison sentence, as did the first instance.
Lembergs was acquitted on part of the charges.
It will still be possible to lodge a cassation appeal or protest against the appeal ruling with the Supreme Court.
As reported, Riga Regional Court on February 22, 2021, slapped a five-year jail term, confiscation of property and a EUR 20,000 fine on Lembergs who was tried for massive graft, money laundering, abuse of his official powers and other crimes.
Lembergs was arrested at the court room. The court, however, took into account the time Lembergs had already spent in arrest – from March 14 until July 10, 2007, and in house arrest – from July 10, 2007, until February 22, 2008.
The court also ruled that Lembergs has to pay large sums to several victims in the case.
In relation to some charges Lembergs was acquitted.
Lembergs son Anrijs Lembers got a jail term of two years and one month with confiscation of property, while Lembergs’ former business partner Ansis Sormulis was sentenced to two years in jail with confiscation of property. Anrijs Lembergs and Sormulis were not arrested at the court room. They will have to go to jail when the sentence takes force.
Source: BNS
(Reproduction of BNS information in mass media and other websites without written consent of BNS is prohibited.)