A shocking revelation has surfaced, shaking the foundations of Riga's political landscape: Aleksandrs Brandavs, the former indirect owner of a passenger transport company, has admitted to promising a bribe. But here's where it gets controversial: the alleged recipient of this bribe may have been none other than Nils Ušakovs, the former mayor of Riga, who vehemently denies any wrongdoing.
This autumn, Brandavs paid a hefty fine of 73,000 euros after confessing to repeatedly offering bribes to a high-ranking official within the Riga City Council. The Latvian Television (LTV) program De facto broke the story, igniting a firestorm of speculation and accusations.
Looking back to spring 2023, the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) proposed charges against Ušakovs, his then-deputy Andris Ameriks, and several others, including Brandavs. The charges stemmed from allegations of causing approximately 10 million euros in losses to the Riga municipality and its municipal company. KNAB investigators believed Ušakovs and Ameriks had demanded a substantial bribe from Brandavs.
According to De facto, Prosecutor Ando Skalbe stated that Brandavs was only prepared to admit to promising a bribe to one official, not two. To expedite the legal process, the case was split, separating the part where Brandavs pleaded guilty. An agreement was reached between Brandavs and Prosecutor Skalbe, which the Economic Affairs Court later approved, with the judgment coming into force in October.
Here's how the alleged bribe was structured: During a meeting in September 2017, a Riga City Council official, holding a position of power (potentially the mayor, vice-mayor, or executive director), proposed a deal to Brandavs. The official allegedly offered to amend regulations to allow discounted fares for certain passenger categories to also apply to Brandavs' company, Rīgas mikroautobusu satiksme (RMS). These changes would have boosted passenger numbers, turnover, and profits for Brandavs' company.
In exchange for this benefit, the official allegedly demanded a bribe equivalent to 50% of the municipal funding allocated based on the number of passengers using fare discounts. Brandavs, after assessing the financial viability, agreed to pay a bribe, proposing either 45% via bank transfers or 30% in cash. Ultimately, they allegedly settled on a 30% cash bribe.
The judgment indicates that, based on passenger numbers, Brandavs and the official could have foreseen a bribe of at least 19,000 euros per month. However, a crucial question remains: was the promised bribe ever actually paid? No direct evidence was obtained, leaving the situation in a state of uncertainty.
Brandavs declined to comment through his lawyer. However, De facto reported that Brandavs' testimony implicates Ušakovs, who currently holds immunity as a European Parliament (EP) member. The European Parliament previously refused to lift the immunity of both Ušakovs and Ameriks. Ušakovs was later re-elected as an MEP, while Ameriks ended his EP career.
Prosecutor Skalbe indicated that the separate criminal case involving Ameriks could soon be brought to court. Ušakovs, when asked to comment, stated in a written response that he had acted strictly in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations, denying any involvement in unlawful acts.
Ušakovs also declined to comment on how he would act if prosecutors again requested that the European Parliament lift his immunity. There's a new EP composition, a different prosecutor in charge, and a different Prosecutor General. The separated proceedings against Ušakovs are currently suspended. He is suspected not only of soliciting a bribe but also of abuse of office.
Two additional individuals, former Rīgas satiksme chairman Leons Bemhens and former acting director of Riga City Council’s Transport Department Emīls Jakrins, have been charged with abuse of office in connection with the case. Their case has been sent to court, with Rīgas satiksme and the Riga municipality participating as injured parties, claiming damages of €10 million.
Prosecutor Skalbe believes that these defendants played a broader role, using their authority to instruct subordinates to prepare and advance amendments favorable to Brandavs' company.
At the start of next year, Prosecutor Skalbe also plans to send to court a case seeking coercive measures against RMS, the legal entity in whose interests Brandavs promised the bribe, which is currently undergoing insolvency proceedings.
This case raises many questions: What are the implications of these allegations for Riga's political landscape? Will the European Parliament reconsider lifting Ušakovs' immunity? And this is the part most people miss: What does this mean for the future of corruption investigations in Latvia? Share your thoughts in the comments below – do you believe the former mayor is innocent, or is there more to this story than meets the eye?
