The defense Ministry of Latvia considers that in connection with the recent events in the banking sector of Latvia and the corruption scandal around the head of the Central Bank for the Republic could be organized large-scale information attack from the outside. This is stated in a statement on Tuesday the defense Ministry.

Ilmārs Rimšēvičs. Photo: Reuters

According to him, this attack “in its structure and execution is identical to that observed in the pre-election period in the United States, France and Germany.”

“Analysis of the Ministry of defense indicates that the source operation was the entry of Associated Press reporter Carlo Piovano posted on Twitter on February 19, 19.05, with reference to the AP News site and a photograph, which is visible [head of the Central Bank Ilmars] rimšēvičs, along with several other persons . The photo was checked in the database of the international photo Agency Scanpix, it was concluded that this photo was placed there on 19 February 2018, and not in 2010, and made it the third party,” — said in a statement.

Then the news and the photograph was circulated online portals that Latvia did not report anything. Many of them are little known and not associated with the financial sector. “This is a method with which in a short period of time, you can increase the amount of information that is specified in the search engine. All this suggests that it is perhaps a very wide information operation to demonize the image of Latvia in the West and undermine public confidence in the state”, — specifies the Ministry of defense.

The defense Ministry attributes this to the upcoming parliamentary elections in Latvia. “With sufficiently high probability we can assume that this is not the end of the information campaign and will follow its continuation. The defense Ministry admits that this is only the beginning, in order from outside to influence the internal politics of Latvia and is expected in October this year elections to the Seimas” — said in a statement.

The detention of the head of the Central Bank

Last week the Bureau on prevention and struggle against corruption (bpbc) Latvia raided the workplace and home Rimsevics. The head of the Central Bank was abroad. On 17 February he flew to Latvia and went together with the lawyer in the anti-corruption Bureau, where he stayed until late at night, and then was taken to continue the investigation. Rimšēvičs, held in a police cell for 48 hours and was released on 19 February on bail of € 100 thousand. — he declared his innocence.

Bpbc 19 February reported that Rimsevics suspected of extortion of a bribe in size € 100 thousand in this case are two people — the head of the Bank of Latvia and one unnamed individual. Anti-corruption Agency also indicated that it is a criminal matter not linked to any existing in Latvia credit institutions.

The scandal surrounding Norvik banka

Bpbc earlier also the beginning of the test, and the State police of Latvia has initiated criminal case under the statement of Norvik banka that a number of officials of the financial sector of the country extorted a bribe from the principal shareholder of the Bank Grigory Guselnikova. The Associated Press19 February, citing the head of the Bank Oliver Bramwell announced that the rimšēvičs extorted bribes through an intermediary at Gusel’nikova, and demanded that Norvik banka was engaged in money laundering. This information Agency also confirmed the Guselnikov. In this situation, the Bank filed a complaint in the international arbitration.

In addition, AP has published a photo taken in August 2010 at which the rimšēvičs captured while hunting with several persons, among whom was Dmitry sawyers, who then held the position of General Director open joint stock company “Scientific research Institute of information technologies”.

He rimšēvičs on Tuesday at a press conference refuted the criticism which Norvik banka charges in the address. Published photo, he said, were fabricated, in connection with which he intends to apply to the security Police of Latvia. He also said that he received TEXT messages in which he promised to shoot.