Neatkarīgā: Krauze and Gobzems request truth from KNAB about the parking permit scandal

In order to gain clarity about possible violations of the law by officials of the New Conservative Party (Jaunā konservatīvā partija, JKP), Saeima and Riga City Council factions in connection with the use of free parking permits issued by Riga City Council, Saeima deputies Armands Krauze (Union of Greens and Farmers, Zaļo un Zemnieku Savienība, ZZS) and Aldis Gobzems (does not belong to factions) turned to Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB).

“Taking into account that this information (meaning, publicly available information on the use of Rīgas Satiksme free parking permits) indicates possible serious violations of the law by JKP, Riga City Council and Saeima faction officials, we ask to begin an investigation into the facts mentioned in the interview and, if necessary, bring the perpetrators to justice,” deputies wrote in the application to KNAB.

We want clarity

In the application, the deputies remind that on November 11, 2020, KNAB started a departmental examination of possible illegal activities of the Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development Juris Pūce, in using the parking permits of Rīgas Satiksme. According to politicians, a few days later these facts were fully confirmed and J. Pūce resigned. On November 30, 2020, an interview with the former Deputy Mayor of Riga and former JKP deputy in the Riga City Council, Druvis Kleins, was published on the Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīze portal www.nra.lv, where he claimed that officials may have used unlawful parking passes in Riga for years and it has been a common practice in several factions of the Riga City Council.

In order to find out whether politicians and officials of various caliber have been using benefits not granted to them by law for a long time, the deputies have turned to KNAB.

Pūce’s case

Speaking about the possible illegalities that prompted the deputies to turn to KNAB, A. Krauze said: “I believe that the deputies of the Riga City Council should have only one permit, which would allow parking next to the Riga City Council, instead of receiving a permit to park their car in every Rīgas Satiksme parking lot in Riga. There is no justification for this. As the Pūce's case showed, it promotes illegally giving the permit to third parties and the deputies of the Saeima and high officials are also involved in it. In this case, we can talk about the JKP, which, with its concept of the rule of law, in reality shows that the way they act is not according to the rule of law, but in fact irresponsibility and spitting on society. That is why I decided to turn to KNAB, because only KNAB can find out the truth. Full information on this permit-granting system of is not available to the public. KNAB may request information both on parking permits and on their registration and car numbers associated with these permits. In addition, KNAB can also check the recordings of video cameras located in the city of Riga, to know who parked which cars in which places. KNAB has great resources. Modern technology makes it quick to find out whether these permits have also been used by JKP politicians.”

Obstructing conditions

When asked what might be preventing Riga Mayor Mārtiņš Staķis and the Chairman of the Security, Order and Corruption Prevention Committee of the Riga City Council Linda Ozola (JKP) from finding out the truth about who used the parking permits issued by the Riga City Council, A. Krauze explained: "What hinders finding out the truth is that the preachers of the rule of law themselves engage in petty fraud. The question is whether the petty scams that took place when they were in opposition have not escalated into major fraud now that they are in power and in government."

Responding to whether there are any forces that could prevent KNAB from finding out the truth about the issue of parking permits, A. Krauze said: “I hope not. But given the number of JKP deputies and, above all, parliamentary assistants who are former KNAB employees, it will be a great challenge for KNAB to look at this case objectively. Corporate friendships often persist.”

Trouble for the party

It should be reminded that in an interview with Neatkarīgā, former JKP Riga City Council deputy, Riga City Council Deputy Mayor Druvis Kleins revealed that in the council two free parking permits have been issued to each deputy for years. Usually, all parties have asked their deputies to return one of the permits for the needs of the party: "It was said that the permits are needed for the assistants of the Saeima deputies so that they can park their cars near the Saeima. At least that was how these cards were requested from us (JKP Riga City Council deputies) by the leader of the faction Jānis Ozols.”