Among the stevedores engaged in the transshipment of manganese ore used in the Russian military industry there are also those whose owners have links to the families of former prime minister Andris Skele and politician Ainars Slesers (Latvia First), the commercial TV3 television reported on Wednesday evening.
The program pointed out that several stevedores are involved in the handling of manganese ore. KS Terminal and Rigas Oglu Terminals are among the transhippers. Both are located on Krievu Island.
Rigas Oglu Terminals is indirectly owned by the families of Skele and Slesers.
“Latvian port terminals must strictly comply with the sanctions imposed by the European Union and the US against Russian goods and cargo. Therefore, it is forbidden to ship cargo that is included in the list of goods sanctioned by the European Union and the US! Any company that violates the sanctions must be severely punished! Rigas Oglu Terminals has always operated in compliance with Latvian law and has never violated sanctions,” said Slesers response to the TV program.
Last year, almost one million tons of manganese ore were handled in the port of Ventspils, and in the first two months of this year almost 63,000 tons, while in Riga last year the turnover of this material reached almost half a million tons, but this year no ships with manganese ore have arrived yet.
In Ventspils, companies handling these cargoes include Eurohome Latvija, Stena Line Ports Ventspils and Ventspils Tirdzniecibas Osta, once controlled by notorious Swiss lawyer Rudolf Meroni, engaged in the so-called transit wars.
The Estonian newspaper Postimees reported recently that following the outbreak of war, the supplies of manganese ore, crucial for the arms industry, to Russia have surged dramatically, and since 2023, these supplies have also been routed through the Port of Sillamae, half of which is owned by Estonia’s former prime minister Tiit Vahi, and also Latvia’s Riga and Ventspils ports.
International sanctions do not prohibit the shipment of manganese ore to Russia.
Source: BNS
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