The Ministry of Culture is worried the corruption allegations are damaging the reputation of the prestigious Latvian National Theatre, founded in 1919.
RIGA — Corruption allegations are shaking the Latvian theater scene, with the directors of Riga’s two largest theaters are under criminal investigation.
Ojārs Rubenis, director of the Latvian National Theatre and Aivars Līnis, administrative director of the Daile Theater are both suspected by the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) of misusing their position for personal profit. Culture minister Ints Dālderis said in an interview to Latvijas Televīzija Friday that the ministry will examine the facts presented by KNAB.
Līnis was forced to resign from his position Tuesday as security restrictions stipulated by KNAB prohibit him even coming near the theater building.
KNAB is not releasing details of the criminal investigation. When the alleged crimes were committed nor how long will the investigation continue are unclear. Some Latvian media outlets have quoted anonymous sources stating that Rubenis and Līnis have paid each other 2,000 lats (€2,800) for consulting services. Rubenis has already returned the money back, according to LTV.
Dālderis admitted that the current investigation is very bad for theaters’ public image and that something must be done to correct the situation, but finding qualified directors for the country’s two leading theaters in short time will be difficult.
Meanwhile the Latvian National Theatre rejects the claims about the alleged crimes.
“There is a reason to think that the signed contract [about consulting services] is legitimate and needed. It should be noted that already just a few months after completing consulting services theater … one can calculate that savings … in one year are tens of thousands of lats,” the theater management explained in a written statement issued Wednesday. The financial crisis and budget cuts created a need to use the money more optimally, and Līnis was the most competent expert available in Latvia according to theater.
Līnis was earlier announced to be a suspect in another criminal investigation. It concerns fraud with European Union funds, altogether 21,000 lats, at a time when Līnis was administrative assistant in European Commission delegation to Latvia.
To me this looks like kids playing with toys if comparing to some politicians. Those directors didn’t check how politicians are doing that same and even “legally”. Maybe it is completely different and I only can’t understand the big boys’s games. Nevertheless let’s play with some ideas like this:
City or country put up a legal company for some reason. Then several top politicians from the city or country will get the post of the member of the board in this company. City or country will buy services from that company, and those same persons who are the members of the board will choose that company as service provider. Basically they are paying from public money to themselves, but it is or at least looks like legal. Somewhere that kind of game could be called blowing money, and somewhere it’s almost a tradition.
Back to director’s case. I can’t or even want to say it was legal, but to be honest they just didn’t know….and maybe it was easier to catch thembecause they were not too powerful or remarkable.