On Friday, January 19, the second briber was detained at the Pāternieki Border Control Point this month.
During a border check on persons and vehicles crossing the state border, border guards detected a lorry driver, a Belarusian citizen, who attempted to leave Latvia out of order with a cargo that did not meet the conditions for cargo crossing the border by emergency procedure.
The man offered a bribe of 50 euros to the border guards in order the cargo to be registered as cargo crossing the border by emergency procedure.
Criminal proceedings were initiated against the Belarusian citizen (born in 1970) for bribery pursuant to Section 323(1) of the Criminal Law. On 21.01.2024 the criminal case file was sent to the South Latgale Prosecutor’s Office for the initiation of criminal prosecution under the accelerated procedure.
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.