We are pleased to announce that the law firm Skrastiņš & Dzenis, in collaboration with our colleagues from the law firm Rode & Partneri, has successfully represented a client in a case concerning criminally obtained assets. The criminal proceedings were initiated following a report from the Financial Intelligence Unit regarding the legalization of criminally obtained funds, which led to the seizure of the client’s financial assets and real estate.
The case was heard in the Economic Affairs Court, where the investigator requested the court to declare the client’s assets as criminally obtained and to confiscate both the funds and several properties for the benefit of the state.
After carefully evaluating the evidence and the explanations provided, the court concluded that there was no basis to classify the client’s seized assets as criminally obtained and decided to terminate the proceedings.
Although the investigator appealed the decision of the Economic Affairs Court, the Riga Regional Court also ruled that the individual linked to the assets and their representatives had convincingly proven the legal origin of the seized property. The appellate court agreed with our arguments, confirming that the source of the client’s funds was neither unknown nor criminal.
The rulings in this case emphasize the importance of a fair trial and underscore the need for legal professionals to thoroughly assess evidence, as well as analyze and refute every argument put forward by the investigator.
