Broadcast: IDB has closed the criminal case for arbitrary cutting of trees in the nature reserve for the construction of the eastern border

More than four years ago, the State Audit found that in order to build the eastern border, trees were cut not only in the border strip, but in a larger area.

This was not foreseen in the construction project.

In the border strip in Cibla county’s Līdumnieku parish, not 12 meters wide, but even 80 meters wide was cut in some places.

Trees growing in protected nature reserves, for which criminal liability is provided, were not spared either.

The age of the felled trees in the “Gulbju and Platpirova swamp” was around 170 years.

Criminal proceedings were initiated investigating the arbitrary cutting of trees that caused significant damage. The suspects were Kaspars Macāns, the project manager of SIA “Ceļu būvnečias sibderības “Igate””, Valērijs Bluss, a member of the board of SIA “VTV 14” and Ivars Galiņš, a member of the board of SIA “Avoti G”.

In connection with possible illegalities in the construction of the eastern border, IDB had also temporarily detained the former head of the State Border Guard (VRS), Normund Garbara.

The State Environmental Service, including the information received from the Nature Protection Administration, calculated that the amount of damage caused to the environment by cutting down trees is 3,354,000 euros.

However, in December 2020, VRS challenged the aforementioned decision to the State Office for Environmental Supervision, which canceled it, thus actually admitting that the losses have not been detected.

As reported by the program, it can be seen from the decision of the IDB that the Geospatial Information Agency of Latvia has clarified the cadastral map and determined a much wider width of the national border strip already after the investigation started by the law enforcement authorities.

Therefore, the area where the trees have been cut down is no longer legally considered a forest. This allowed the investigators to conclude that the State Border Belt Protection Law is applicable, not the Forest Law and the State Forest Service Law.

Thus, the legal basis for finding arbitrary cutting of trees in the nature reserve has disappeared and the IDB has ended the criminal proceedings.

The auditors of the State Audit Office have requested the IDB to get acquainted with the materials of the closed case. Regardless of the termination of the criminal proceedings, the Ministry of the Interior and the VRS are obliged to assess the responsibility of the officials involved.

However, in the closed case, the initially suspected persons – Macāns, Bluss and Galiņš – are still accused and are being tried in other legal proceedings related to alleged crimes committed during the construction of the eastern border.