Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze was detained in the morning at the request of the prosecutor's office as part of a criminal process regarding possible violations in providing support to the forestry industry. The investigation is related to decisions on long-term contracts of Latvijas valsts meži.
One of the most high-profile anti-corruption events in recent months took place in Latvia — the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) detained Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze in the morning.
According to LETA, the detention was carried out at the request of the prosecutor's office as part of the so-called forestry industry case. The information about the detention was confirmed by Minister of Economy Viktors Valainis.
KNAB only stated that the bureau is providing support to the prosecutor's office during the procedural actions. The agency has not yet provided more detailed comments.
The phones of Krauze and the former State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, the current head of the State Chancellery Raivis Kronbergs, were turned off throughout the day.
The investigation is related to possible violations in the provision of state support to enterprises in the forestry sector. It concerns the adjustment of prices in long-term contracts of the state enterprise "Latvian State Forests" (LVM).
According to the prosecutor's office, criminal actions may have occurred in the public service when making decisions.
The situation has gained particular resonance also because just the day before, the State Audit Office was about to publish the results of an audit on the effectiveness of oversight of LVM. However, the presentation was canceled after a complaint from the Ministry of Agriculture.
It was planned that the Attorney General Armīns Meister would also participate in the press conference.
In fact, the investigation affects not only one ministry but the entire decision-making system surrounding the largest state forest enterprise in the country.
The prosecutor's check was initiated back in November of last year. At that time, the Prosecutor General's Office began to ascertain whether the decisions to support forestry companies were in accordance with the law.
Later, during the investigation, signs of possible crimes related to the illegal provision of support through changes in pricing conditions in LVM's long-term contracts were identified.
At the same time, the prosecutor's check has not yet been completed and continues in parallel with the criminal process.
Earlier, an internal check had already concluded that the financial situation of the enterprises that received support at the end of 2023 did not appear to be systematically critical. The report also mentioned circumstances that raised doubts about the justification for the assistance provided.
Armands Krauze himself had previously stated that the check conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture found no harm to the state.
Now the case is entering a new phase — with the participation of KNAB, the prosecutor's office, and high-level individuals involved.
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