Prosecutor general faces inquiry based on whistleblower report

RIGA - Latvia's current Prosecutor General Juris Stukans is facing an inquiry based on a whistleblower report, LETA was told at the Supreme Court.

Aigars Strupiss, President of the Supreme Court, has tasked Justice Aija Branta of the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court, to conduct the inquiry.

It is expected that the inquiry could be completed by the end of May or early June. The nomination process for the next prosecutor general has been suspended until the inquiry is completed.

Stukans is one of three candidates for the post of prosecutor general. The Judicial Council had originally planned to hear the candidates for the post of prosecutor general this Friday, April 25.

According to the whistleblower report to the Supreme Court, the prosecutor general had allegedly violated a section of the Criminal Law on the disclosure of confidential information. Stukans reportedly gave instructions contradicting a supervising prosecutor's convictions in a criminal case and disclosed investigative secrets to Saeima members.

Prosecutor Viorika Jirgena told Latvian Television that she had been the whistleblower in this case.

Upon examination, the report was found to be prima facie consistent with the elements of whistleblowing as laid down in the Whistleblowing Law and there were sufficient grounds to start an inquiry into the prosecutor general's alleged violations, committed by giving instructions contradicting the supervising prosecutor's convictions.

The allegation that Stukans disclosed confidential information to lawmakers, however, was dismissed as a baseless assumption, which means that this allegation will not be examined in the probe.

"What's Happening in Latvia?", a talk show program of Latvian Television, recently reported that a whistleblower report was submitted in late February over Stukans' actions concerning the case of former prime minister Krisjanis Karins' flights.

Sources told the TV program that several meetings took place at the Prosecutor General's Office with the participation of investigators from the Corruption Prevention Bureau (KNAB), prosecutors of various levels, as well as Stukans. Discussions at these meetings centered around the question whether there were reasons to press charges against public officials, including the former prime minister, the head of his office and the director of the State Chancellery.

At the end of February, the Supreme Court received the whistleblower report alleging that Stukans exceeded his office powers at these meetings.

On March 5, Stukans told reporters that the Prosecutor General's Office would take over from KNAB the criminal case on alleged embezzlement of funds related to the use of special flights for former prime minister Karins' foreign trips.

According to the Office of the Prosecutor Law, the Saeima may dismiss the prosecutor general if a judge of the Supreme Court, specially authorized by the president of the Supreme Court, has established one of the grounds for dismissal referred to in the law and the plenary of the Supreme Court has issued an opinion thereon.

The inquiry may be initiated by the president of the Supreme Court on his/her own initiative, at the request of one-third of the Saeima or at the request of the Judicial Council.

The competition for the post of prosecutor general was announced because Stukāns' term of office as Prosecutor General ends on July 11.

The Saeima unanimously approved Stukans as Prosecutor General on June 18, 2020.