Ilmārs Poikāns (right) answers a reporter's question with his attorney Aleksejs Loskutovs.
RIGA — With his attorney at his side, Latvian hacker Ilmārs Poikāns said at his first post-arrest press conference Monday that he worked alone under the “Neo” alias and that he has no explicit political agenda.
At the University of Latvia Monday evening, Poikāns confirmed what State Police Chief Valdis Voins said last week, that the so-called People’s Army of the 4th Awakening was just a conceit he used. Poikāns did identify himself with a larger impetus to change Latvian political culture, though.
“I am not bound by a party. As soon as I would join a party, I would have to associate myself with other supporters. My aim is above party interests,” Poikāns told reporters. “I am not going away — Latvia has to change.”
A researcher at the university’s Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, Poikāns confessed to being the hacker “Neo” last week after being arrested by police and could face up to 10 years imprisonment and fines for illegal hacking.
Despite this, Poikāns appeared at ease talking to reporters, often smiling and cracking jokes during the course of asking questions.
(IN LATVIAN) Ilmārs Poikāns speaks to reporters at the press conference Monday evening. Video used courtesy of Diena TV.
Poikāns has not been deemed a threat by police and is allowed to remain free until his pending trial. Meanwhile his actions — exposing the tax records of Latvia’s top politicians, bureaucrats and businesspeople — have been lauded by a wide swath of Latvian society, including The Meierovics Society for Progressive Change. There was a brief protest in front of the Cabinet of Ministers building Thursday in support of Poikāns.
An estimated 7.4 million documents, equaling 120 gigabytes of data, were downloaded from the site, including income statements and tax declarations of public officials, bureaucrats, and businesses.
Data shows that top executives of the municipal companies received huge monthly salaries — 4,000 lats (€5,700) and higher — while enormous bonuses, including 16,000 lats (€22,500) to Riga Heat CEO Āris Žīgurs last March, went out the door all while regular employees took wage reductions in light of budget cuts.
— Baltic Reports reporter James Dahl contributed to this article.
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