On the article in the newspaper Dienas Bizness


In the edition of July 5, 2010 of the newspaper Dienas Bizness, it is mentioned
that last week the Financial Police Department of the State Revenue Service
arrested a criminal group, which had implemented an extensive scheme of
laundering, and the possible relation of the Joint Stock Company „Latvijas
Gāze” (hereinafter - LG) to the scheme is under investigation. The article
reveals that LG has co-operated with two of the construction companies involved
in the scheme. 

As one of the major taxpayers in Latvia and one of the highest rated companies
in terms of social responsibility, LG fully denies the published rumours
regarding the company's involvement in any illegal affairs or laundering
schemes. We also point out that there are no arguments as to why the company's
relation to illegitimacies is conceded. LG co-operates with many companies,
including „SZMA Rīga” and „SZMA Būve”, which are referred to in the article and
have fulfilled a number of orders for LG. These companies, just as other
winners of procurements, are selected via tenders, whereas any purchases beyond
the limit specified in the law „Procurement for the Needs of Public Service
Providers” are conducted in co-operation with the Procurement Supervision
Office. 

We would like to remind that, despite LG being a private company, our operation
and all procurements are subject to strict supervision. The internal
regulations of the company stipulate that procurements are generally organized
via tenders, while decision-making involves a number of people not only from
the responsible procurement commissions, but also those engaged in the process
of resolution. For instance, any purchase of complex and expensive technologies
and/or performance of their reconstruction is supervised not only by LG, but
also internationally known experts of gas industry. 

If any information provided by LG can in any way be useful for the Financial
Police of the State Revenue Service, we advise it to address the company so
that, if needed, we deliver the information as soon as possible. 

LG notes that, if there are illegitimacies in the internal financial operations
of any of the contractors of LG, it does not indicate the involvement of LG
therein. Moreover, LG cannot bear responsibility on all internal financial
operations of its partners. 

Vinsents Makaris
Phone + (371) 67 369 144
E-mail: IR@lg.lv
GlobeNewswire