The court of first instance has found former Chief of the State Police's Main Order Police Department, Normunds Krapsis, guilty of abuse of office and disclosure of confidential information in the so-called video radar procurement case.
Former police officer Andris Locs, who is accused of aiding and abetting abuse of office, has also been found guilty in this criminal case.
The court imposed a fine of 11,700 euros on Krapsis, and 4,680 euros on Locs. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty and promise to appeal the verdict.
"I believe this is an incorrect verdict. In fact, it turns out that the court did not take the evidence that we submitted. This means that currently all employees who work on [procurement] commissions may be "de facto" guilty, if it can be interpreted that way," said Locs.
"In a way, it is a surprise. As I have already mentioned in my testimonies and in the arguments, there are several facts that show that this process should not have reached court," said Krapsis.
"The prosecutor's office brought charges for the significant damage caused to the prestige of the State Police and the entire procurement system as a whole. In my opinion, this is an example of how one should not act," said prosecutor Agnese Indriksone, indicating that this court decision could also help eradicate illegal actions by other state officials in various procurements. "It is gratifying that the court has reached a fair ruling," she said.
According to the current indictment, Krapsis illegally ensured that the State Police concluded a contract with the company "RECK" in 2018 for the purchase of video radar systems, which included conditions favourable to the company.
The technical specifications of the video radars to be purchased were submitted to the Chief of the State Police, which initially fully corresponded to the specifications of systems offered by just one company, thus ensuring that they were forwarded to the procurement procedure, which prevented other bidders from competing with each other and hindered free competition.
In addition, Krapsis allegedly disclosed information to the bidder before announcing the procurement tender. Krapsis is also among the defendants in a criminal case regarding alleged irregularities in the procurement of State Police uniforms. Several individuals have been charged in this case which is still making its way through Latvia's notoriously slow legal system.
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