U.S. embassy slams paper over scandal story

Andris Straumanis | 

The U.S. Embassy in Latvia has reacted strongly to a newspaper story that claims a scandalous exchange of information took place 18 months ago between Latvia’s Prosecutor General Jānis Maizītis and former Ambassador Brian E. Carlson.

The daily paper Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīze reported Feb. 5 that Maizītis breached his professional ethics by writing a letter to Carlson in which he informed the ambassador about the progress of a fraud case involving the Latvian branch of the American company Procter & Gamble, which claimed it had been swindled by local firm Balodis Printing.

“Although according to law the prosecutor does not have to inform persons not involved with the criminal case about the course of a pretrial investigation,” the newspaper reported in a front page story, “Prosecutor General Jānis Maizītis in September 2003 gave detailed information to former U.S. Ambassador Brian Carlson about the case involving fraud against a subsidiary of the U.S. business Procter & Gamble.”

The embassy responded Feb. 6, issuing a press release that blasted the newspaper.

“The unfounded accusations and distorted information contained in this story raise serious questions about the journalistic integrity and political motives of Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīze and the elements that control it,” the press release reads in part.

The newspaper is owned by A/S Preses nams, a company indirectly controlled by Aivars Lembergs—the well-to-do mayor of Ventspils—through the oil company Ventspils Nafta. Lembergs and Maizītis are reportedly not on the best of terms ever since the prosecutor launched an investigation into the privatization of Ventspils Nafta.

The bankrupt Balodis Printing, which was based in Bauska, is accused of defrauding Procter&Gamble Marketing Latvia of thousands of dollars. Balodis Printing was declared insolvent in 2002.

The newspaper article, and a similar story distributed by the news agency LETA, questions the prosecutor general’s ethics in providing information to a foreign government.

But the embassy in its press release said Carlson initiated the contact with Maizītis after it became clear that other Latvian officials were dragging their feet in the investigation.

“Mischaracterizing the nature of the Balodis Printing fraud case in order to launch an ill-considered attack on Prosecutor General Maizītis,” the embassy’s press release reads, “can only be seen as suggesting that there are some here in Latvia who do not want the prosecutor general to do his job, which is central to promoting the rule of law.”

Carlson was ambassador until the end of last year.

Andris Straumanis is a special correspondent for and a co-founder of Latvians Online. From 2000–2012 he was editor of the website.

Prāta Vētra in Helsinki lacked luster

Raitis Freimanis | 

Prāta Vētra

Prāta Vētra opened for R.E.M. when the American band played in Helsinki.

At precisely 8 p.m. on Jan. 29 in Helsinki’s Hartwall Areena,  world-renowned rock group R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills introduced the Latvian popular music group Prāta Vētra (known in English as BrainStorm). This was the group’s last performance together with R.E.M., on a concert tour through several Eastern European cities, including Rīga.

I travelled to Helsinki to find out two things: How does BrainStorm sound without its original bass player Mūmiņš (Gundars Mauševics, who was killed in a May 2003 automobile accident) and how does the Latvian band stack up against a world famous rock group?

Unfortunately, at the start of the concert only a few hundred listeners had entered the hall. This was due to two circumstances. First, concertgoers were not permitted to take drinks into the hall, so many took advantage of drinking beer in the outer hallways of the arena. Second, the Finnish public was there to see R.E.M.

Our boys from Latvia seemed rather pale and tired as they started their set. (The preceding concert in Saint Petersburg was cancelled because transportation was delayed at the border between Estonia and Russia.) Only by the end of the set was BrainStorm warmed up.

I thought frontman Renārs Kaupers was just going through the usually ritual dance motions without any real emotion or feeling. The public wasn’t convinced about the performance, but did applaud politely after every song. The reaction of the public was probably a big surprise for BrainStorm, who were warmly received by the home crowd a few nights earlier in Rīga.

The group members seemed to be caught up in themselves and shared little if any contact with one another. Guest bassist Ingars Vilums didn’t even take a glimpse at the bored drummer Kaspars Roga. I wonder if Vilums has found his real place in the group yet. Māris Miķelsons was as usual on the ball and performed his keyboard and accordian parts with precision. Guitarist Jānis Jubalts played well for the most part, but started the song “Kitten Who Did Not Want to Give Up” at a dreadfully slow pace.

The sound as usual was less than perfect for an opening act and it seemed as if soundman Tālis Timrots was prevented from pressing certain sound and volume buttons. The fact that the songs were sung in English didn’t appease me. Even though Kaupers has improved his English immensely over the past 10 years, his English lyrics don’t stand up to his lyrics in Latvian. This was not the best BrainStorm show I have seen. I was disappointed, expecting more from Latvia’s top pop band.

After BrainStorm finished its 35-minute set, a 30-minute intermission followed. During that time 12,000 spectators filled the hall eagerly awaiting R.E.M. From the very first beat, singer Mike Stipe danced and pranced, singing with full force. Bassist Mike Mills played well and sang great harmonies. Even though Peter Buck played horribly and at times completely wrong notes, second guitarist Scott McCaughey covered up for his mistakes. Guest drummer Bill Riefen didn’t shine much, but then again R.E.M’s material wouldn’t let him. Guest keyboardist Ken Stringfellow was steady all night. Still the group performance relied mostly on Stipe. Throughout the entire concert, he controlled the group and the audience as a cult fugure. As Stipe conducted, audience members rhythmically waved their hands in unison, singing along to hits like “Losing my Religion” and “Man on the Moon.”

After the concert I asked R.E.M. guitarist McCaughey what he likes about BrainStorm.

”Renārs is a great frontman,” he answered. That is exactly how I feel. Without Kaupers, BrainStorm would not have enjoyed the success it has so far. Undoubtedly Brainstorm has been where no other Latvian group has been before, but borrowing a line from one of its songs, ”What’s next?”.

BrainStorm should get out on tour of the European and American club circuit. It just doesn’t cut it to release an album or a video and naively hope that somebody is going to notice. You have to tour and then tour some more. Bruce Springsteen played between 250 and 300 concerts a year before he became famous. This is really the only way for BrainStorm to ever hope of achieving the same. The band might just be content with being popular in Eastern Europe.

Then again, it could wait for Stipe and R.E.M. to call for help again…

Details

In concert in Hartwall Areena

Prāta Vētra

Helsinki, Finland:  2005

Raitis Freimanis lives in Stockholm, Sweden, and is a founding member of the Latvian-Canadian band Skandāls.

Ir pienācis laiks…

Jānis Kukainis | 

Latvijas Republikas Saeima 1996. gadā pieņēma “Deklarāciju par Latvijas okupāciju”, atgādinot pasaules valstīm un starptautiskajām organizācijām par mūsu tautas un valsts traģisko likteni XX gadsimtā un aicinot atzīt Latvijas okupācijas faktu. Deklarācijā rakstīts, ka “Latvija, neturot naidu un neprasot atriebību pagātnes dēļ, vienmēr neatlaidīgi atgādinās un aicinās saprast savas tautas traģisko likteni”. Tas ir ticis darīts, bet, dažādu iemeslu dēļ, līdz šim panākumi nav gūti.

Tagad apstākļi ir mainījušies – Latvija ir sasniegusi savus galvenos ārpolitikas mērķus, kas nodrošina valsts drošību un neatkarības neatgriezeniskumu. Ir pienacis īstais laiks rīkoties aktīvi, lai sakārtotu attiecības ar vēsturi.

Pasaules brīvo latviešu apvienība uzskata, ka, tikai panākot lielvalstu nožēlu par vēsturē nodarīto netaisnību, būs iespējams sadziedēt pāridarījuma brūces un veidot veiksmīgu mūsu valsts nākotni.

Tikai uz taisnīga vēstures izvērtējuma pamata ir iespējams sakārtot Latvijas un Krievijas starpvalstu attiecības. PBLA uzskata, ka tas ir tikpat nepieciešams Krievijai, cik Latvijai, jo nespēja objektīvi izvērtēt savas valsts pagātni un atzīt nepatīkamas patiesības tikai uzkrāj un rada jaunas problēmas, kavējot attīstību atbilstoši rītdienas vajadzībām.

PBLA uzskata, ka Latvijas Valsts prezidentes Vairas Vīķes–Freibergas izšķiršanās doties uz Maskavu 9. maijā, lai kopā ar krievu tautu pieminētu Otrajā pasaules karā bojāgājušos, vērtējama kā drosmīgs solis, kas palīdzēs tuvināt abu valstu saprašanos par pagātnē notikušo. Izšķiršanās ir bijusi grūta, rūpīgi izvērtējot rīcības iespējamos nākotnes ieguvumus.

Prezidentes paziņojums, kas izsūtīts valstu vadītājiem un medijiem, viņas uzstāšanās starptautiskās auditorijās, intervijas medijiem uc. – dos lielu ieguldījumu totalitāro režīmu noziegumu izvērtēšanas procesā. PBLA tic, ka prezidentes labā griba un viņas apbrīnojamās spējas panākt vēlamo rezultātu, nesīs gaidītos augļus.

Tomēr PBLA arī ļoti nopietni aicina Latvijas prezidenti un valdību censties panākt lielāku Baltijas valstu vienotību ārpolitikā. Tieši mūsu vienotības trūkuma dēļ PSRS 1940. gadā varēja pielietot “skaldi un valdi” taktiku pret Baltijas valstīm. Tam bija traģiskas sekas Latvijā, Igaunijā un Lietuvā, tāpēc mēs nedrīkstam atkārtot savas kļūdas.

Izmantojot šo gadījumu, Latvijas Ārlietu ministrijai, Latvijas vēstniekiem tagad ir jāveic milzu darbs, skaidrojot Latvijas un citu Baltijas valstu vēsturi.

Arī mums visiem ir jāiesaistās skaidrošanas darbā un jādara viss iespējamais savu zemju politiķu un mediju izglītošanā, lai beidzot panāktu Latvijas okupācijas fakta starptautisku atzīšanu, un, lai totalitāro noziegumu izvērtēšana un nosodīšana būtu garants tam, ka nav iespējama šādu noziegumu atkārtošanās nākotnē.

(Redaktora piezīme: Šo atklāto vēstuli PBLA izsludināja 2005.gada 1.februārī.)