Latvia's agriculture minister was detained in a criminal probe into a Cabinet decision that cut state forestry timber prices, reportedly costing EUR 30 million
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What happened
Latvia's Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau, acting on orders from the Prosecutor General's Office, temporarily detained Agriculture Minister Armands Krauze and State Chancellery head Raivis Kronbergs on 14 May 2026 in a criminal investigation. The case concerns a late-2023 Cabinet decision directing state forestry company Latvijas Valsts Meži to apply significantly lower prices to long-term softwood sawlog contracts from 1 January 2024; trade press reports the cut cost the company more than EUR 30 million, and prosecutors are examining possible abuse of office and negligence. Prime Minister Evika Siliņa dismissed Krauze and announced her resignation; Krauze confirmed he was named a person against whom criminal proceedings were initiated and has earlier said an internal ministry review found no evidence of state losses. No one has been charged or convicted.
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- Wood Central
a late-2023 Cabinet decision that cost LVM more than €30 million
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- Baltic News Network (BNN)
Latvia's Agriculture Minister Krauze and Head of the State Chancellery detained
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