LEMBERGS AND THE SECURITY AMENDMENTS LINKED

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIGA 000275 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/13/2017 TAGS: PGOV KCRM KJUS ECON PREL PINR ASEC NATO LG SUBJECT: LEMBERGS AND THE SECURITY AMENDMENTS LINKED REF: A. RIGA 192 ¶B. RIGA 201 Classified By: Ambassador Catherine Todd Bailey for reasons 1.4 b and d ¶1. (C) Summary: Regional Legal Attach and PolOff met with the Latvian Prosecutor General Maizetis (PG) to discuss upcoming USG sponsored training events which will involve Maizetis' office. During the course of the meeting, the PG discussed the events surrounding the introduction, and eventual withdrawal, of controversial amendments to the Latvian security laws (reftel A). The PG feels that recently arrested Mayor of Ventspils Aivars Lembergs (reftel B) is directly connected to the push to amend the security laws. Maizetis believes that the success of the government to push through the amendments is proof of the threat that Lembergs poses to democracy and national security. Noting the fact that many members of Parliament have yet to distance themselves from Lembergs, the PG said that the reason for this will become clear in the next few weeks. End Summary. ¶2. (C) While discussing various future USG sponsored law enforcement and prosecutorial training opportunities, the PG brought up the recently retracted Security Amendments and the case of recently arrested Ventspils Mayor Lembergs. The PG described the lobbying for the passage of these amendments as very intense and great pressure was exerted on his office to support the amendments. However, the PG office, from the beginning, took the position that these amendments are destructive to the rule of law in general and a threat to national security in particular. Because of this position, the PG office was never invited to participate in the committee discussions or to provide input of any kind in the development of these amendments. He felt it was clear from the beginning that Parliament was not going to take any steps to block the amendments and it would be absolutely vital for President Vike-Freiberga to step in and block the amendments. ¶3. (C) According to Maizetis the proof of Lembergs' connection to the passage of these amendments and the potential effect on the law enforcement structure as a whole was that shortly after the adoption of these amendments, former head of the Constitutional Protection Bureau (SAB),L. Kamaldins, was the first person granted permission to access all information within the law enforcement structure. Currently, Maizetis explained, Kamaldins is working as the head of security for a Latvian shipping company ultimately owned by Lembergs. PG is convinced that Kamaldins was acting on direct orders from Lembergs himself and that this was Lembergs' attempt to influence and disrupt the investigation. The PG feels that Kamaldins is disgruntled against the Latvian government in general because he was not granted a high position within the government once his time as head of the SAB expired. However, Maizetis did point out that while Kamaldins was the head of the SAB, they had a positive working relationship. ¶4. (C) The PG knows that Lembergs has a wide network of people within the law enforcement institutions, including judges. It was because of this knowledge that the PG's office aggressively pursued keeping Lembergs in jail and that he has been pleased with the support from the judges overseeing this case. He cited the push for a clearly unqualified candidate to the position of Constitutional Court Judge as further evidence of Lembergs' long arm of influence. (NOTE: This candidate was eventually withdrawn when her judicial record was called into question amid allegations of bribery, favoritism and connections to Lembergs. End Note) ¶5. (C) Maizetis feels that the success of the government in pushing through these amendments is proof of the threat that Lembergs poses to national security and demonstrates Lembergs' amount of influence with this current Government and Parliament. Addressing the current rumors in the press that several sitting Members of Parliament (MP) are on Lembergs' pay roll, the PG said that we will see within the next few weeks why so many politicians have not been scrambling to distance themselves from Lembergs. ¶6. (C) Shortly after the LEGATT and PolOff left this meeting, the PG's office called PolOff to request we return to meet with another prosecutor. LEGATT did return to the PG office the same day and met with the lead prosecutor on the case against Lembergs. The PG's office informed LEGATT of a possible US connection with Lembergs' illegal activities and requested LEGATT assistance. BAILEY