In LatviaYesterday, 9:13 p.m., a subordinate of the former Minister of Internal Affairs, ĐirĶens "in the stolen phone case" fined 18,600 euros

Also, Lapiņa will have to reimburse the state 532 euros. The verdict can still be appealed to the regional court.

The charge was brought for abuse of official position for greedy purpose. According to the indictment, the official, using his official position, gave illegal orders to prepare the necessary documents for the write-off and disposal of the property. After preparing them, aware that the specific property will remain in the use of another person, the official used the powers granted to him and approved the act of writing off the relevant property, the prosecutor’s office informed.

Lapiņa does not admit his guilt.

As the TV3 program “Nothing personal” reported, after leaving the post of minister in June 2021, Girgen had to hand over his belongings and also the service phone bought with state money – the “Apple Iphone XR” worth less than 1000 euros. The minister wanted to keep the phone for himself. There is no legal way for the IeM IC, who owns the phone, to keep employee-issued devices for private use. At the minister’s request, the head of the center tried to resolve the issue so that according to the papers, the phone would be considered destroyed.

IC employees told the court that Lapiņa had arranged for the phone to remain in the minister’s possession. They obeyed because they were afraid to oppose. IC has decided to write off Girgen’s “iPhone” as damaged. In order to fix it, at least four employees put their hand in it, and the company, which, without seeing the device, prepared a statement that the phone was damaged beyond repair.

The phone was not attached to the physical evidence because it was lost. When the investigator asked Girgens to return the device, he stated that it fell out of his pocket while riding a motorcycle.

Girgens considers the criminal proceedings fabricated to take revenge on him and the honest officials for breaking the unfair procurement tradition at the Information Center.

Although the prosecutor’s office did not mention it in its statement, LETA already wrote that the Internal Security Office started an investigation into possible illegal activities of IeM IC officials and the company “KB Open” related to procurements organized by the center. This case was also initiated for abuse of official position. A disciplinary case was initiated against IC chief Lapina.

The Ministry of the Interior has terminated the state civil service relationship with Lapina.

In the Riga city court in the suburb of Latgale, there is another criminal case related to Lapina for the abuse of official position for greedy purposes. Līga Peipiņa is also accused in the case.

The charge was brought for abuse of official position for greedy purpose. According to the indictment, the official, using his official position, gave illegal orders to prepare the necessary documents for the write-off and disposal of the property. The name of the item was not mentioned in the prosecutor’s statement, but LETA already wrote that it was a communication device, according to what IDB had previously informed.