It turned out that the buying and selling exercise with the supposed purchasers from Kyrgyzstan, suspended by the Lithuanian customs officers, continued. When the Lithuanian customs officers refused to let air conditioner cargoes go to supposed patrons in Kyrgyzstan, the “Vilpros” firm managed by the Vėgėli household directed this export by a really close by overseas nation. Or fairly, by our personal firm in Latvia.
Modified course
In our earlier investigation, “Candidates and condyškės”, we revealed how Vilpra traded with Kyrgyz firms, exporting air conditioners, items whose export to Belarus is prohibited by EU sanctions. And whereas it might need appeared that this commerce operation ended final summer time, the truth turned out to be completely different.
Based on the info obtained by “Sienas”, “Vilpra” exported air conditioners to Kyrgyzstan very actively for regarding half a yr, in 2022 and 2023. on the junction. Based on the corporate’s personal knowledge, its exports to Kyrgyzstan amounted to simply over a million euros. That is considerably lower than the contract between Vilpros and one of many Kyrgyz firms discovered within the leaked knowledge, in keeping with which the Vēgėli household enterprise undertook to promote items for precisely 2 million. US {dollars}.
We requested “Vilpros” whether or not this contract was fulfilled, however we didn’t obtain a solution. And colleagues from “Re:Baltica” discovered that the export of air conditioners was merely moved to Kyrgyzstan, and the products continued to roll – solely not by the border of Lithuania, however throughout the border of Latvia.
Exports one thing that does not exist
Based on the info obtained by “Re:Baltica”, the export of air conditioners was additional developed by SIA “Vilpra”, an organization of the “Vilpros group” managed by the Vėgėli household in Latvia. The export of air conditioners from Latvia flourished instantly following Vilpra confronted issues in Lithuania.
The customs division confirmed to “Siena” that final June the cargo of “Vilpros” air conditioners was not launched to Kyrgyzstan resulting from sanctions management. And the info obtained by “Re:Baltica” testify that the “Vilpros” firm registered in Latvia continued the identical exercise already in August of the identical yr.
Based on the info obtained by “Re:Baltica”, SIA “Vilpra” exported air conditioners to Kyrgyzstan each final yr and this yr. The full quantity of this export exceeded 600 thousand. euros.
Based on Eurostat knowledge, Latvia declared that it exported air conditioners to Kyrgyzstan for barely lower than 950 thousand euros in 2023. Nevertheless, these figures make it uncertain whether or not the products actually went to Kyrgyzstan. As a result of the official statistics of Kyrgyzstan present that the Central Asian nation didn’t import a single conditioner from Latvia final yr.
“If [prekybos statistikoje] there are massive discrepancies, this might be a sturdy indication that the products weren’t exported to the nation specified within the paperwork”, Paulis Iljenkovs, deputy director of the Latvian Monetary Intelligence Unit, informed Re:Baltica.
Based on him, within the case of transit by sanctioned nations, such cargoes are sometimes merely unloaded on the best way to the supposed export nation. Nevertheless, criminals are additionally getting used to extra refined mechanisms.
“Just lately, there have been instances once they take items to Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan, they keep there for just a few days following which they’re taken to Russia. And this [sankcijų pažeidimą] it’s far more tough to show than within the case when the products are merely misplaced on the best way”, stated P. Iljenkovs.
The candidate didn’t keep in mind his connection
Reacting to the supplies of “Sienas” and “Laisvės TV”, presidential candidate Ignas Vėgėlė repeatedly emphasised that he’s neither a member of the board nor a shareholder of “Vilpros”. The scenario with the Latvian “Vilpra” is considerably completely different.
Based on official knowledge, I. Vėgėlė labored on the board of the Latvian firm till 2023. December, and due to this fact on the time when the Latvian “Vilpra” took over the provision of air conditioners to supposed patrons in Kyrgyzstan. Andrius Tapinas I. Vēgėlė requested regarding this even earlier than the elections, dwell on the air of “Laisvės TV”.
“I cannot say. I am actually not now. (…) Possibly I used to be there as soon as,” stated I. Vēgėlė, when requested if there have been Latvian girls on the board of Vilpros.
The politician solely remembered the reference to SIA “Vilpra”, which was terminated just a few months in the past, solely following exhibiting the precise knowledge confirming it on the display screen. At the moment, the politician didn’t start to guage the details regarding the potential participation of the Latvian firm within the export of air conditioners to Kyrgyzstan.
Sees politics
For brand spanking new details regarding Latvian “Vilpros” commerce with Kyrgyzstan, we contacted each Lithuanian and Latvian firms. The latter confirmed that it exports air conditioners to Kyrgyzstan and has declarations signed by clients stating that the products will not be meant for the Russian or Belarusian market.
“And likewise different paperwork confirming the actual fact of export, which present that the products crossed the exterior border of the EU,” states the written remark of SIA “Vilpra” obtained by “Re:Baltica”.
The Latvian firm didn’t say something concerning the paperwork that might verify the arrival of the products in Kyrgyzstan. It additionally didn’t reply to a request for touch upon the statistics, which present that Kyrgyzstan in 2023 didn’t import conditioners in any respect from Latvia.
In its remark, the Latvian firm emphasizes Lithuania’s politics and the supposed aspiration to “compromise” Igna Vėgelė.
“We emphasize that the unique consideration to our firms and a selected group of products is completely associated to political processes – the present elections of the President of the Republic of Lithuania and the brother of the corporate’s board member and supervisor [Igno Vėgėlės] choice to take part in politics, thereby making an attempt to compromise him and his members of the family in any approach, or by associated firms,” says Rimas Šimkus, director of SIA “Vilpra”.
Vilpra, working in Lithuania, didn’t wish to touch upon the export of air conditioners by Latvia in any respect.
“For the reason that creators of your present inaccurately and biasedly current particular person details regarding our firm’s actions, thereby speculating on the accessible info, deceptive the general public and damaging the great identify of our firm, and contemplating the truth that the inspection by the Customs Division is at the moment underway, we won’t present any extra info till its completion. info”, says the final director of “Vilpros”, brother of the presidential candidate Martynas Vēgėlė, within the written reply.
Each “Vilpra” and its firm in Latvia categorically deny any hyperlinks with sanctions evasion schemes.
Customs continues the inspection
The Customs Division has confirmed that it’s persevering with to examine Vilpros. It was launched in April in response to the details revealed within the “Candidate and Contenders” investigation. Based on customs officers, the method can be underway “with the trade of data with worldwide companions”. Is it regarding Latvia – the Customs Division has neither confirmed nor denied.
Latvian customs additionally refused to offer info on actions associated to particular financial entities. Nevertheless, the commentary offered by “Re:Baltica” famous that Central Asian nations are additionally handled as high-risk export jurisdictions in Latvia.
Latvian customs knowledgeable that Central Asian nations are handled as high-risk export jurisdictions, and cargoes despatched there are checked far more fastidiously. Inspection procedures present that suspicious cargo usually doesn’t attain this area.
“Customs usually cooperates with the providers of Central Asian nations (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Sakartvel, Armenia, and so on.) to examine whether or not the products have reached the vacation spot nation. The dangers of evasion of sanctions are confirmed by solutions from customs of third nations, which frequently verify that the products haven’t arrived at their vacation spot”, states the written remark of the Latvian customs.
The customs of the neighboring nation point out that in the course of the first 4 months of this yr, as a lot as 65 p.c There have been instances the place the products didn’t arrive in Central Asian nations. Latvian customs additionally states that it has and can proceed to hold out procedures “in cooperation with the customs of different nations and to stop makes an attempt to avoid sanctions”.
The publication was ready in the course of the implementation of the undertaking “Collaborative Journalism Europe in a World Context” funded by the European Fee program “Artistic Europe”, in cooperation with worldwide facilities of investigative journalism ICIJ and OCCRP.
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2024-06-05 14:38:34