VZCZCXRO5576
RR RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV
DE RUEHRA #0507/01 2341042
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
R 211042Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY RIGA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5183
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 RIGA 000507 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/20/2018 
TAGS: PGOV KCOR KJUS PSNR LG
SUBJECT: ALLEGED CORRUPTION COSTS CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT CHIEF 
HIS CLEARANCE; JOB? 
 
REF: A. TD314/78341-07 B. TD314/67766-07 C. 07RIGA383 
     ¶D. RIGA23 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Charles W. Larson Jr. Reason 1.4 (b and d) 
 
¶1. (S/NF) SUMMARY: Valdimirs Vaskevics, head of the law 
enforcement arm of Latvian customs, has been stripped of his 
security clearance pursuant to an extensive investigation 
into corruption allegations. Technically, he can remain in 
his position, but he can't have access to classified 
information so, practically, he can no longer function in his 
job.  This action by the intel service comes after years of 
suspicion, a lengthy and involved Anti-Corruption Bureau 
(KNAB) investigation, and allegations of extraordinary, 
People,s Party-supported corruption.  The extent of his 
alleged illegal dealings range from bribery and extortion 
through abuse of his office, to (in the personal, unconfirmed 
view of the intelligence Chief) staging his own attempted 
murder.  The KNAB has designated him a "person of suspicion," 
but the investigation is still ongoing and they have not yet 
forwarded a case to the Prosecutor General. END SUMMARY 
 
¶2. (C) On August 8, 2008 the press reported that Valdimirs 
Vaskevics, the head of the State Revenue Service Custom's 
Criminal Board (the law enforcement arm of the customs 
agency), lost his security clearance.  We confirmed that with 
officials at the Constitutional Protection Bureau (SAB). In 
late 2007 the SAB downgraded his clearance level from Top 
Secret to Secret (to be reviewed every two months) after a 
background investigation by the KNAB.  At that time his 
Customs Board position was redefined so he could keep his 
office with the lower level of clearance.  Now the SAB has 
completely banned Vaskevics from access to state secrets, 
and, for all intents and purposes, he can no longer do his 
job.  Although the Finance Minister has asked the State 
Revenue Service to look for candidates for his position, 
Vaskevics has not yet been dismissed, as he has been on sick 
leave since July 28 and must be physically present to be 
fired. 
 
¶3. (C) According to the press, in July 2008 Dzintars Jakans, 
the State Revenue Service Director General and Vaskevics' 
boss, ordered an internal probe into Vaskevics' activities. 
Jakans ordered a special commission to evaluate the situation 
and submit a report.  Only based on that information, Jakans 
stated, would he consider whether or not to dismiss 
Vaskevics.  At that time Vaskevics stated to the press that 
he would not resign because he liked his work and wanted to 
continue what he had started. There has been no recent report 
of the commission's work and have been unable to verify 
whether it is still functioning. 
 
¶4. (S/NF) Vaskevics is shrouded in suspicion.  The KNAB 
states that he was involved in illegal property deals between 
2002 and 2007 and the press regularly reports on his alleged 
involvement in various corruption schemes, including possibly 
narcotics trafficking.   Sensitive reporting from post GRPO 
last autumn suggested that Vaskevics uses his position to 
extract bribes from various people looking to ship 
through/into Latvia and that he funnels a large amount of 
this money to the People,s Party to support their 
activities.  In return, they protect him in his job and allow 
him to keep some of the money. (ref A and B)  There have been 
three attempts on Vaskevics' life, and, according to post 
GRPO, the most recent (ref. C) was possibly one he, himself, 
staged to draw attention away from his illegal activities and 
refocus suspicion on others (this is according to 
unconfirmed, personal suspicions of the SAB Chief). 
Vaskevics' ex-wife, with whom he still shares a home, is also 
under investigation for allegedly overcharging the government 
for the purchase of some land she sold the GOL for a new 
headquarters building for the customs service.  According to 
Post GRPO information, her brother is reported to be an 
active Russian FSB officer. 
 
¶5. (C) The KNAB confirmed to us in June that they were 
getting close to indicting Vaskevics and alleged that when 
they notified him that he was a "person of suspicion" in a 
criminal case and asked him to go in for an interview, he 
fled the country.  (Note:  The Vaskevics case, as well as the 
investigation into the Riga City Council, were cited in the 
press as reasons that the coalition moved to dismiss Aleksejs 
Loskutovs as head of the KNAB in June.)  We subsequently 
confirmed with various sources that he left the country 
legally to attend his daughter's wedding in Cyprus. 
 
¶6. (S) The KNAB investigation is ongoing; Vaskevics has never 
formally been charged with anything and he has not been 
arrested.  Earlier this year a KNAB investigator approached 
the U.S. Embassy, requesting Consular information on 
Vaskevics and his family, which allegedly ties them to the 
 
RIGA 00000507  002 OF 002 
 
 
passport scandal in January (ref. D) where people who did not 
qualify for Latvian passports were being issued them 
illegally.  (This Consular information was not provided to 
the KNAB.)  Vaskevics has publicly stated that he has had a 
number of meetings with KNAB and the Prosecutor's office at 
their request, but the KNAB has forwarded no case information 
to the Prosecutor General for their acion. 
 
¶7. (C) COMMENT:  The SAB's action to strip him of his 
clearance even in the absence of a formal indictment comes as 
a welcome and long-expected effort toward the arrest of 
Valdimirs Vaskevics.  It is part of the reason we fought 
changes to the law proposed last year that would have allowed 
other agencies besides SAB to grant clearances.  Vaskevics is 
a key player in the shadowy network of corrupt activites that 
operates in support of political parties in Latvia. His 
successful prosecution, along with that of Ventspils Mayor 
Aivars Lembergs, would do much to challenge the existing 
order here. For exactly that reason, it will be a very tough 
task.  END COMMENT 
LARSON