Saeima committee authorizes criminal prosecution of MP Jakovins

RIGA - The Saeima Mandates, Ethics and Submissions Committee on Tuesday decided to authorize a prosecution of Juris Jakovins (Greens/Farmers), an MP and family physician accused of falsifying a medical document. 

The final decision in this matter lies with the Saeima. 

The request to authorize Jakovins' prosecution was submitted by the prosecutor's office for the investigation of offences in the public service. As requested by the prosecutor's office, the Saeima committee took the decision behind closed doors.

The Corruption Prevention Bureau (KNAB) had asked the prosecutor's office to press charges against Jakovins and two lawyers from Valmiera - Edgars Atlacis and Agnese Kauce - for  an alleged forgery of a document.

KNAB informed that the bureau had obtained evidence that two lawyers obtained from a family physician a forged extract from a patient's medical record, which was submitted to court as an excuse for the absence of the defense from a court hearing. As a result of their criminal acts, the court adjourned the hearing of the civil case.

Evidence obtained during the KNAB investigation provides sufficient grounds to allege that one of the lawyers encouraged the family doctor to falsify the extract from the medical records of a colleague, a female lawyer.

The lawyer reportedly submitted the falsified extract from her medical record to a Vidzeme district court, thus ensuring that the court hearing is adjourned and the proceedings delayed.