Within a week, border guards detained two bribers at the Silene Border Control Point - a citizen of Ukraine and a citizen of Russia, who attempted to bribe the border guards.
On Sunday, June 28, during a border check on persons crossing the state border, border guards refused entry into Latvia to the Ukrainian citizen, born in 1969, as the movement of persons and vehicles through the European Union's external border crossing points is prohibited since March 17, 2020. Upon being refused entry, the Ukrainian citizen presented an OCTA policy to the border guards with a 50 euro banknote inserted in it.
The man bribed to cross the country's border.
However, during the holiday on June 22, while carrying out the border check, the border guards identified the Russian citizen, born in 1987, entering Latvia, who offered to pay the border guards if they did not put border crossing stamps in the passports of male passengers, who were in the car with him, so that they in Austria would not be quarantined for 14 days.
Criminal proceedings have been initiated against both persons for bribery under Article 323(1) of the Criminal Law, while in Daugavpils Prosecutor's Office the persons have been held criminally liable entering into an agreement with the Prosecutor regarding the recognition of guilt and the imposition of a sentence - in the case of the Ukrainian citizen - temporary imprisonment for two months, and in the case of a Russian citizen - a fine of 10 minimum monthly salaries, i.e. EUR 4 300. The penalties will take effect within 10 days.
Bribery qualifies as a serious crime punishable in accordance with the Latvian Criminal Law by the deprivation of liberty for a period of up to five years, or temporary deprivation of liberty, or community service, or a fine in an amount of ten up to two thousand minimum salaries set by the Republic of Latvia.
Information prepered by Jolanta Babiško