Seven parties or their associations illegally spent part of the public funding / day paid to them in 2023
The KNAB found, following the reports of 2023 of the political parties and their associations 2023, that almost all of the state budget funds have received violations of the Law on Financing of Political Organizations (Parties) in its activities.
For more than half of the KNAB, these political forces have revealed a significant violation of the use of state budget funding – illegal use of funding.
The KNAB verified the annual reports of 60 political organizations, including the compliance of the state budget funding with the requirements of the Law on Financing of Political Organizations (Parties). In 2023, 12 political organizations paid € 5,675,351.04 to the state budget, and most of this funding was used by the political organizations for employees’ salaries, premises and services related to the maintenance of employees and premises.
When examining the position of the state budget funding, the KNAB revealed that one political party, the « New Conservative Party », has been nearly € 58,000 exceeded the 60% threshold that the parties may use for one target group in the respective year. The party has an administrative fine of 1,200 euros, which has not yet been paid.
Three political organizations – « Progressive » in the amount of EUR 4,649.83, the Political Party Association « New Unity » (JV) 34,731.18 euros and « Harmony » in the amount of EUR 869.56 – did not comply with salary costs for covering the salary of a public official, overtaking a total of 40,20,57 euros.
LETA reported last summer that JV had launched a refund of EUR 24,731.18 in the incorrectly spent state budget funding in the Treasury. The KNAB report states that JV did not comply with the pay of salaries in the amount of EUR 30,436.57 in 2023, while in 2024 the excess of EUR 4294.61 was found. JV has so far refunded € 12,365.61. The party’s association was also subject to a penalty of € 250.
No other offenses have been found for coalition parties. In turn, the « progressive » violation of the above is a fine of € 500, and the party has refunded the state budget 4649.83 euros. At the same time, « Progressive » has unjustifiably paid EUR 3,690.50 from the state budget for services, which is not in line with the party’s public activity. In its turn, the airline ticket and the hotel have unduly extended to a specific target group of EUR 1019.89. For these violations, the party has a penalty of € 600, which has already been paid. The party has also paid back EUR 3690.50 in the state budget.
Meanwhile, the « Greens and Farmers’ Union » in the coalition paid a 472.32 euro default interest from the state budget, which is not included in any of the intended target groups. It has a fine of 150 euros, which has already been paid, according to the KNAB.
The KNAB also points out that in four cases the unjustified use of state budget funds, such as the purchase of alcoholic beverages or the payment of fines and entertainment measures forbidden. As a result of this type of irregularity, the total amount of EUR 4922.82 has been spent. According to the information available to the KNAB, the illegally spent funding has been partially refunded to the state budget. For example, the « Pli » party (ever « Development/For! ») Spent 360 euros for the purchase of alcoholic beverages. This money and the € 350 penalty party has refunded to the state budget.
Along with this, the KNAB’s annual reports found that a third of political organizations that do not receive funding from the state budget had committed a number of violations of the regulation of financing political organizations. Six political organizations have not complied with the procedure for submitting the donations received, without a total of € 8302.86. Similarly, in five cases, the settlement procedure for the payment of the purchased goods and services in the amount of EUR 4174.45 is not respected.
As a result of the inspections, the KNAB called 26 political organizations for administrative liability and imposed a total of € 14,675 for them or warned them for violations of the Law on Financing of Political Organizations (Parties).
Eight political parties are prosecuted for non -compliance with the submission of 2023 reports and fined a total of € 8,900.
Among them, the fine of 1,200 euros is imposed on political parties « Awakening », « Awakening for Latvia », « United for Latvia », « New Harmony », « Cooperation », « People’s servants for Latvia », « For a Human Latvia », but a fine of 500 euros applies to the « Action Party ».
For the failure to comply with the submission of 2023 reports, that is, not to submit the report in a timely manner, one decision has been made to end the administrative violation process due to the insemination of infringement against the political party « You, Jurmala ».
The activities of the political parties « Awakening to Latvia » and « Cooperation » have been terminated. The process of termination of the political parties « Awakening » and « On Human Latvia » is underway. In turn, the political parties « United for Latvia » and « Action Party » are underway.
In addition, the KNAB informs that the activities of two political organizations that had not submitted annual reports within the time limit have been terminated. The process of suspension or termination of four political organizations is still ongoing.
