Latvia’s outgoing Prime Minister Evika Silina has dismissed Agriculture Minister Armands Krauze of the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) after the latter came under criminal investigation for abuse of office, LSM reported. Earlier, Latvia’s Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) briefly detained Krauze and the Agriculture Ministry’s former state secretary, current director of the State Chancellery Raivis Kronbergs. Silina suspended Kronbergs from his duties, pending the investigation. Krauze announced that he would return to the parliament, the Saeima, LSM reported. He described Silina’s decision to dismiss him as cowardly, saying that it would complicate future cooperation, LETA reported. KNAB is investigating several current and former officials at the Agriculture Ministry, state forest management company Latvijas Valsts Mezi (LVM), and local timber trading company PATA. The criminal case relates to unlawful price adjustments made to long-term contracts with LVM.
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