Former Riga Mayor Ushakov Playing Hide-and-Seek from Prosecutor Like a Kid in Karosta

While we in Liepāja peacefully live our lives and rejoice over our tram that always runs on time, Riga continues its real political soap opera with Nils Ushakov in the leading role.

The prosecution has announced it's preparing to ask the European Parliament for the second time to strip the former Riga mayor of his immunity. The first time in April, the MEPs said no, but now prosecutor Juris Meisters claims they have new arguments. "We have additional circumstances that allow us to further substantiate our case," he explained, sounding about as convincing as a Liepāja fish vendor claiming his fish are the freshest in all the Baltics.

Ushakov is charged with extorting bribes and abuse of office in connection with the RMS minibus business. The story reads like a bad detective movie - in 2017, he and deputy Ameriks allegedly demanded 30% of Riga City Council funding in cash from RMS owner Brandavs. Last year, Brandavs paid a 73,000 euro fine and confessed to promising bribes. A typical Riga affair - there even confessing costs more than maintaining Liepāja's entire tram system for a year.

"I don't understand why they make everything so complicated up there in Riga," commented local café owner Dace. "Here in Liepāja, if someone wants to get something done, they just come and say it honestly. No minibus schemes whatsoever." And indeed, in our city even corruption is too expensive - who's going to give a bribe for a tram ticket that costs less than coffee downtown?