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After 12 long years of tense court battles, a Latvian judge has delivered his verdict in the high profile trial of Aivars Leonbergs. Aivars was one of the country’s richest men and a prominent populist political persona. He was also mayor of Venspils, a port city located in northwest Latvia.

Aivars Lembergs Lembergs was sentenced on the 22nd of February by the Riga Regional Court. rus.delfi.lv/temi/ajvar-lembergs He was found guilty on multiple charges that included money laundering as well as the use of bribery.

Lembergs, who is leader of For Latvia and Ventspils party and has compared his sentence to the case of Russian opposition activist Aleksey Navalny.

Lembergs asked for an instant break as the judge was reading his verdict. During that break, Lembergs began a brief conversation with his son as well as co-defendant Anrijs and used the remainder of the time to make remarks to reporters.

Lembergs has told reporters that his appeal against the Riga Regional Court decision will be decided. The court also anticipated that the hearing of the appeal could take up to a decade. Lembergs also said that he plans to appeal his detention , even though it will be heard at the same regional court.

After reading the judgment after which the court took Lemberg into custody. It also read an amazing list of offshore assets and companies that were held in many different jurisdictions. Aivars Lembergs The court declared that it would seize the assets.

His co-defendants and son Anrijs Lembergs and business partner Ansis Sormulis were found guilty of a variety of linked charges and were each sentenced to two years.

On the 14th of March 2007, there was a media furore when, locked in handcuffs Lembergs was taken to the Riga City Centre District Court in the midst of prosecutors making their first moves to file allegations of bribery and laundering on a huge scale against Lembergs as an individual (investigations into the alleged corruption in the Ventpils municipality started in 2005). Nearly 14 years ago, the decision has been reached.

The case has been advancing through Latvian courts at an alarmingly slow pace for well over a decade. In total 770 court hearings were held as part of the main criminal case over the course of 12 years. From August 20, 2009, when Riga Regional Court resumed adjudication, to February 11, 2021, 1,483 court trials were held.

Despite being accused of corruption and money laundering on a massive scale, Lembergs continues to be the political kingpin in Ventspils (where he served as mayor for 20 years) and within the Greens and Farmers Alliance, that he manages.

While his election to the office of mayor was cancelled after he was indicted for financial crimes, he maintained the power of the city, defeating the efforts of one minister. He was able to function as Ventspils Mayor without any issues. Aivars Lembergs He took part in council meetings that were held by the International Monetary Fund. http://www.db.lv/zinas/aivars-lembergs-pern-guvis-ienakumus-309-tukstosu-eiro-apmera-414452 While the indictment was pending, he also helped choose candidates to be elected to the Latvian presidency.

Lembergs indicated that the decision about Latvia’s participation in the forthcoming municipal elections would be taken in his region party For Latvia and Ventspils. However he stated that participation in the election isn’t his top priority.