In the so-called special flights case of former Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš, the accused, former State Chancellery Director Jānis Citskovskis, claims that his phone conversations were wiretapped for several months during the investigation, according to TV3’s programme “Nekā personīga” on Sunday.
In an interview, Citskovskis said that upon reviewing the case materials, he discovered that the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) had intercepted his communications, including private conversations with family members.
According to Citskovskis, learning about the surveillance left him with a “disgusting feeling,” as he believes there was unequal treatment of different officials in the case. He accused law enforcement authorities of “cowardice” in handling cases involving high-ranking state officials.
Citskovskis also alleged that KNAB relied on false information when seeking court authorization for the wiretapping.
He stated that during the upcoming court proceedings,
he plans to present materials in his possession and highlight what he considers to be injustices in the investigation.
The so-called Kariņš flights case is scheduled to be heard at the Riga City Court on the 7th of April. Citskovskis is the sole defendant in the case.
He claimed that decisions regarding specific flight choices were made by the Prime Minister’s Office, while the State Chancellery was later left to answer to the prosecution, the State Audit Office, and the media. He stressed that he was not involved in selecting routes or carriers.
Citskovskis further alleged that, following the outbreak of the scandal, he was pressured to assume responsibility for the charter flights. He said that in discussions with staff from Prime Minister Evika Siliņa’s (New Unity) office, he was made to understand that taking responsibility would be “in everyone’s best interest” and that the situation would later be “resolved.”
The former official also admitted that he had previously provided misleading information to journalists regarding additional funding allocated for the Prime Minister’s special flights and staff remuneration. According to him, this was done following instructions from the Prime Minister’s Office.
At the same time,
Citskovskis revealed that he had personally decided to delete a recording of a Crisis Management Council meeting
concerning COVID-19 restrictions. He claimed that he made this decision independently, as the law does not require such meetings to be recorded.
As previously reported, Citskovskis served as Director of the State Chancellery from 2017 until July 2024. In early July 2024, he was demoted in connection with the Kariņš flight scandal. In protest, he chose to resign from his position.
The prosecution has forwarded the criminal case related to Kariņš’s flights to court, with Citskovskis as the only defendant.
According to the prosecution, the former State Chancellery Director is charged with failure to perform official duties, resulting in serious consequences. His guilt will be determined by the court.
The post “A disgusting feeling” – defendant in Kariņš case claims KNAB wiretapped his calls appeared first on Baltic News Network.
