Court of Appeal upholds guilty verdict against Rimšēvičs and Martinsons in bribery case

On September 1, the Riga Regional Court decided to leave unchanged the guilty verdict issued in late 2023 by the Riga District Court against former Bank of Latvia governor Ilmārs Rimšēvičs and construction businessman Māris Martinsons in their bribery criminal case.

Sentences imposed

The first-instance court had sentenced Rimšēvičs to six years in prison, one year of probation supervision, and confiscation of property. Martinsons received a five-year prison sentence, along with an order to pay over 150,000 euros. His company "MM investīcijas" was made subject to a coercive measure requiring recovery of 3.1 million euros. The appellate court left these rulings in force without changes.

Defendants' position

Both men have denied guilt since the case began. In his closing statement, Rimšēvičs asked the court to acquit him on all counts, while Martinsons sought full acquittal, alternatively requesting that if found guilty, a fine be imposed instead of imprisonment.

What happens next

The Riga Regional Court's ruling can be appealed within 20 days of the full verdict becoming available. The complete ruling will be published on September 15, after which the deadline for appealing to a higher court begins for both sides.