LONDON — Latvia’s top banking official explained the “rules of the game” for successful banking in the small European country. His sidekick sat the owner of Norvik bank down, scribbling the sum on a piece of paper: 100,000 euros ($125,000) a month.
An international complaint filed by Latvian bank Norvik alleges that a “Senior Latvian Official” repeatedly sought “to extort monetary bribes,” and retaliated against the bank when its owners refused to pay up. The 39-page claim, filed before a World Bank arbitration body, left the identity of the senior official anonymous.
That person is Ilmars Rimsevics, Norvik bank officials told The Associated Press.
Rimsevics, the country’s top banking official and a key member of the European Central Bank, was detained Saturday amid swirling accusations of bribery and money laundering schemes in Latvia that reach back to Russia. On Monday, Latvia’s anti-corruption agency said it suspects Rimsevics of “seeking a large-scale bribe” and has started a criminal investigation against him.
The high-stakes drama unfolded Saturday, when Rimsevics was detained upon arriving for questioning at the office of Latvia’s anti-corruption agency, and was interviewed for eight hours into the night, his lawyer told state TV. His office and a property were raided, the channel said.