The stay of Prime Minister Evika Silina in the VIP lounge at Amsterdam Airport was related to her visit to the USA in March 2024, confirmed former Director of the State Chancellery Janis Citkovskis to the LETA agency.
According to the archives of the LETA agency, Silina was on a visit to the USA from March 11 to March 14, 2024. During the trip, she participated in the 68th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres, as well as with high-ranking US officials, members of Congress, business representatives, and the Latvian diaspora.
In New York, the Prime Minister also spoke at the UN General Assembly, participating in the world's largest forum on gender equality — the session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
Citkovskis emphasized that if Silina files a defamation lawsuit regarding the allegations of using the VIP lounge at Amsterdam Airport, he is ready for it. The former high-ranking official noted that he has a set of documents regarding the payment of the corresponding bill for the VIP lounge, which he officially requested and received from the State Chancellery.
He also claims that the documents issued by the State Chancellery confirm that this bill was paid on April 19, 2024, by the then Deputy Director of the State Chancellery for Legal Affairs and Head of the Legal Department Inese Gailīte, who temporarily performed the duties of Citkovskis. He himself was suspended from the position of Director of the State Chancellery on April 10, 2024.
As reported, Citkovskis accuses Silina of unjustified use of the VIP lounge at Amsterdam Airport.
In an interview with Latvian Television, Citkovskis stated that he and his colleagues from the State Chancellery often insisted that officials avoid unjustified expenses, but they were often not listened to. One such case was related to Silina: after her and her advisor's visit to the VIP lounge at Amsterdam Airport, the state was billed approximately 4000 euros.
Citkovskis claims that he refused to pay this bill, after which he was suspended from his position, and later the payment was approved by another official.
The former Director of the State Chancellery added that similarly, former Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš demanded payment for the use of the VIP lounge for his daughter, which, according to him, was not legal.
Silina indicated on Twitter that given the current legal proceedings, including the criminal case in which Citkovskis is accused, his statements should be viewed as a defense tactic.
The Prime Minister emphasized that Citkovskis's claims are not true and added that she would consider the possibility of filing a defamation lawsuit.
In an interview with the TV3 program "900 Seconds," she stated that in her opinion, Citkovskis is using the election period to pressure politicians and thereby protect himself in the criminal process. At the same time, she did not rule out that the former Director of the State Chancellery might use his current popularity to run for election or promote the election of another political force.
When asked whether she uses airport VIP lounges while performing her duties as Prime Minister, Silina stated that such a privilege is provided for high-ranking officials by regulations. According to her, this practice exists worldwide and is normal.
When asked about specific amounts, the head of government replied that she "does not have all the bills in her head," but it was Citkovskis who was responsible for developing and implementing the travel order. In any case, all information has been forwarded to the prosecutor's office and the media, the politician claims.
Currently, Citkovskis is involved in the case of the so-called flights of former Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš.
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