Customs officers in Terekhova do not want to sit in prison and are appealing the verdict in the bribery case

The Riga Regional Court plans to start hearing the case on April 10, 2024.

Publicly available information in the court system shows that Normunds Gražulis, Gunārs Kulačkovskis, Raitis Tereško, Oskars Balters, Agnese Vinnichenko, Marina Mandrikina and Juris Aliošins are accused in the case.

Previously, the ELT sentenced Gražulis to five years of imprisonment. On the other hand, Kulačkovski and Tereshko were sentenced to imprisonment for four years and six months.

The other defendants were sentenced to imprisonment for three years and six months. All persons are prohibited from holding public office for five years.

Initially, 29 officials were detained on suspicion of corruption at the Terekhova customs control point, 21 of whom were recognized as suspects, and the cases of these persons were referred for criminal prosecution. The criminal proceedings against eight customs officers were terminated due to lack of evidence.

The Prosecutor’s Office brought charges against 20 customs officers and transferred four cases to the ELT. In the part of the criminal case against one customs official, the prosecutor’s office was closed because the person died.

With the five defendants, plea agreements and punishment have been concluded at the prosecutor’s office, transferring the criminal cases to the court in accordance with the agreed procedure. The criminal cases against the other 15 customs officers have been referred to the court in the general procedure.

Publicly available information in the court system shows that Kaspars Kravalis, Žanis Razgulajevs, Aleksandrs Losevs, Juris Ostrovskis, Edgars Laizāns, Lāsma Losāne, Juris Bogdanovs and Andris Noviks are accused in the second case.

The ELT imposed a fine of 6,200 euros on each of the defendants, as well as deprived them of the right to hold positions as public officials for five years. Kravali was also sentenced to four years in prison, Razgulayev to three years and six months, while the other defendants were sentenced to three years in prison.

The judgment was appealed and now this case will also be considered in the Riga Regional Court.

There is a border control point and a customs control point in Terehova on the Latvian-Russian border. Already in previous years, law enforcement authorities have detained the border guards and customs officers of these points for various offenses.

The loudest arrest happened about 14 years ago. At that time, the law enforcement authorities detained several dozen customs officers, border guards, police officers and private individuals for various crimes.

The officials of the Terekhova customs checkpoint accepted material values ​​or obtained other material benefits for themselves and their family members for not diverting vehicles and cargo for control and for not carrying it out.