There are suspicions that as a result of possibly criminal actions by officials of the Ogre District Hospital and the Liepaja Regional Hospital, in concluding contracts with suppliers of medical goods, both healthcare institutions may have overpaid more than 300,000 euros, according to a statement from the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (CPCB / KNAB), writes LETA.
The criminal case investigated by the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (CPCB) is related to a possible illegal agreement between hospital officials and certain suppliers of medical goods regarding the victory of these companies in five government procurements.
According to the information available to the CPCB, state officials of both hospitals may have abused their official position and illegally agreed with two suppliers of medical goods on the victory of these companies in five procurements organized by the hospitals. To ensure the victory of these firms, the technical specifications of the tenders were adapted to the requirements of specific suppliers.
The total amount of contracts affected by the alleged crime exceeds 300,000 euros — these funds were allocated from the budgets of Latvia and the European Union.
As part of the criminal case, searches were conducted at more than 20 locations across Latvia, including the Liepaja Regional Hospital and the Ogre District Hospital. Seven individuals mentioned in the case have the status of suspects. No preventive measures related to deprivation of liberty have yet been applied to any of them.
The CPCB clarifies that two criminal proceedings concern possible violations at the Liepaja Regional Hospital. One case was initiated on January 16, 2025, on suspicion of abuse of office for selfish motives (Part 2 of Article 318 of the Criminal Code). This investigation is being conducted by the CPCB in cooperation with the prosecutor's office for investigating crimes in public service.
The second case concerning the Liepaja Hospital was initiated by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) on December 2, 2025, on suspicion of preparing large-scale fraud and abuse of office for selfish motives (Part 3 of Article 15, Part 3 of Article 177, and Part 2 of Article 318 of the Criminal Code).
The case related to the Ogre District Hospital was initiated by the EPPO on November 24, 2025, on suspicion of large-scale fraud and abuse of office resulting in serious consequences (Part 3 of Article 177 and Part 2 of Article 318 of the Criminal Code).
Both cases were initiated by the EPPO after the CPCB transferred the obtained materials for assessment to the prosecutor's office in accordance with the requirements of EU regulations. After the initiation of the cases, the European Public Prosecutor's Office transferred them back to the CPCB for investigation.
The CPCB notes that in recent years, the healthcare sector has been under its scrutiny. In 2024, the bureau completed an analysis of corruption risks, which assessed the connection between the government procurements conducted by several Latvian hospitals and donations made by the winners of these procurements. The findings of the analysis were also shared with officials from the Ministry of Health.
The CPCB emphasizes that all individuals mentioned in the criminal cases have the right to defense, and the presumption of innocence applies at all stages of the investigation — from the moment a person becomes a suspect or accused until a verdict is rendered in accordance with the law.
As previously reported, on Tuesday, five individuals were detained on suspicion of possible offenses at the Liepaja Regional Hospital, including a state official, while two were detained in the case concerning the Ogre District Hospital, the CPCB confirmed to the LETA agency.
One of the detainees was Andris Vistinsh, a member of the board of the Liepaja Regional Hospital. According to Latvian Television, Vistinsh returned to work on Wednesday as he had not been suspended from his duties. The other detainees at the Liepaja Hospital are not officials.
"I signed a non-disclosure obligation regarding further data and cannot provide more detailed comments for now. That is all I can say at the moment; the rest of the information has already been made public. The law enforcement agencies will also comment on their actions," Vistinsh stated.
Attempts to contact the chairman of the board of the Ogre District Hospital, Dainis Shirovs (National Alliance), by the LETA agency have so far been unsuccessful — his phone was turned off on Tuesday.
The owner of the Ogre District Hospital is the municipality of Ogre County. The chairman of the board is Shirovs, and the board members are Sandra Jaunerchika and Ilze Trukshane. In 2024, the hospital's turnover was 18,374,069 euros, and the profit was 1,079,394 euros.
The largest owner of the Liepaja Regional Hospital is the Liepaja City Council, with a small share of capital belonging to the University of Latvia. The board members of the hospital are Andris Platais and Andris Vistinsh. The chairman of the council is Toms Baumanis, the deputy is Juris Barzdins, and the council member is Janis Berzins. In 2024, the hospital's turnover was 44.7 million euros, and the losses were 313,285 euros.
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