Latvian Prosecutor General’s Office looks into aircraft rent for former PM’s needs

The Latvian Prosecutor General’s Office has commenced an investigation of the rent of private aircraft for the needs of then-the Prime Minister and current Minister of Foreign Affairs Krišjānis Kariņš.

Discussions of this issue will continue in the Saeima as well. On November 29 it became known that the ex-PM went on private flights twice as often as previously reported. Previously there was information published about Kariņš’s flights to attend meetings organised by European leaders, the Baltic News Network reports.

The costs of those flights were covered using EU funds, not Latvia’s state budget. This is why the State Chancellery did not include this information about his private flights.

The program reports that the latest information about his flights shows that Kariņš used at least 36 special flights to attend various meetings during his term.

This cost Latvia’s state budget and EU budget a total of eur 1 300 000.

As previously reported, members of the Combined list political party were the ones who cast light on the special flights used by then Latvian PM Kariņš. They are the ones who requested information.

The party wanted to know about the private flight services he used during his term. Information for Prime Minister Evika Siliņa’s resolution was prepared by State Audit director Jānis Citskovskis.

Kariņš agreed with the criticisms about his use of private flights, but he did stress that it did help meet with world leaders and enhance Latvia’s role in the EU and NATO in a difficult logistical situation.

He also said it is always possible to improve procedures. In this case, this is about the procedure that allows top officials to use special flight services, as well as the funding amount diverted towards this.