RIGA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Around 150 demonstrators staged a picket outside the Prosecutor General's Office here on Thursday morning to demand Prosecutor General Eriks Kalnmeiers' resignation over his alleged failure to properly investigate dealings of influential politicians and businessmen.
Latvia's weekly magazine IR has published a series articles containing transcripts of the so-called "oligarch talks" -- wiretapped conversations of former politicians Andris Skele and Ainars Slesers, as well as Aivars Lembergs, the long-standing mayor of Latvia's port city of Ventspils, ex-banker Valerijs Kargins and current Agriculture Minister Janis Duklavs.
According to these publications, which in recent weeks have caused great public outcry in Latvia, the politicians and businessmen used to gather at the Ridzene Hotel in the Latvian capital to discuss topics like influence peddling in various state-owned enterprises, securing the firing of certain high-ranked public officials and gaining control over media.
The picket by the Prosecutor General's Office was organized by the Progressives, a small liberal political party without representation in parliament. The party's activists said during the protest that the "oligarch talks" had been the last straw and that they demonstrated Kalnmeiers' inability to do his job, that is, to ensure the conviction of the influential figures involved in illicit dealings.
Public trust in the rule of law in Latvia has been shattered, and the prosecutor general has to assume responsibility for that, some protesters said.
The picket, which had gathered mainly young people, was also attended by Juris Jurass and Juta Strike -- former officers of the Latvian Corruption Prevention Bureau.
The Corruption Prevention Bureau probed the "oligarch case" for several years but the investigation did not result in calling anyone to account as it was concluded that the wiretapped conversations were not sufficient evidence for prosecution.
The hour-long picket was peaceful.
Kalnmeiers, who did not leave his office to meet with the protesters, said he had no intention of resigning.
