The Saeima's Defense, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Commission conceptually supported the amendments to the law "On Service Pensions for Employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs System with Special Ranks" prepared by "New Unity" (JV). It is proposed to deprive employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs system of their service pensions if they have committed a serious or particularly serious crime against the state, a crime while serving in a state institution, or a crime involving violence. The Defense, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Commission is a co-executor of this draft law. It is to be reviewed in the first reading by the Saeima's Social and Labor Affairs Commission. At the same time, the deputies believe that the content of the amendments will still need to be clarified. At the meeting, the majority of representatives from the involved institutions expressed conceptual support for the initiative. At the same time, a representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs pointed out that the new restrictions should only apply to crimes committed by a person while they were an official. Kristine Kīpena, head of the Criminal Penalties Policy Department at the Ministry of Justice, stated that the amendments evoke mixed reactions. In her opinion, the adoption of the draft law in its current form may create a risk of non-compliance with the Constitution. The simultaneous application of criminal punishment and deprivation of a person's right to a pension may be interpreted as double punishment for the same act. Representatives of the Ministry of Welfare expressed concerns about the practical application of the amendments. In particular, it is still unclear how the State Social Insurance Agency will receive information that a pension recipient has been convicted and that payments should be stopped. A representative of the United Police Union of Latvia sharply criticized the initiative, calling the draft law legally flawed. The union called for the document to be sent back for revision. According to the amendments, the right to a service pension will not be granted to an employee dismissed from service due to a conviction for a serious or particularly serious crime against the state, a crime in the service of a state institution, or a crime involving violence. The restriction will apply regardless of the expiration or removal of the criminal record. It is also proposed to extend it to cases where a person has been released from punishment or the criminal proceedings against them have been terminated on non-rehabilitating grounds. Payments of already assigned service pensions are planned to be stopped if the recipient committed such a crime during their service but was convicted only after dismissal. The pension will also be stopped if the person was released from punishment or the criminal case against them was closed on non-rehabilitating grounds. Furthermore, it is proposed to deprive former employees of their service pensions if they committed a serious or particularly serious crime against the state or a serious or particularly serious crime involving violence after their dismissal and were punished for it. A similar rule will apply to individuals released from punishment, as well as those whose criminal proceedings were terminated on non-rehabilitating grounds. The authors of the draft law point out that the current regulation does not prevent an employee suspected or accused of a deliberate crime from voluntarily resigning and applying for a service pension. Moreover, its payment continues even after a person is found guilty. Representatives of "New Unity" note that similar provisions are already included in the laws on service pensions for military personnel, officials of the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau, as well as employees of state security agencies. According to the deputies, the draft law is intended to link the right to a service pension with loyalty to Latvia and impeccable service. Another goal is to unify the regulation of service pensions for employees of various law enforcement and state structures. "New Unity" believes that the amendments will contribute to strengthening the reputation of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs system and create an additional legal mechanism to deter employees with special ranks from committing crimes. The initiative has received conceptual support, but its final fate has not yet been decided. Before further consideration, deputies need to eliminate legal ambiguities, determine the procedure for exchanging information between institutions, and assess whether the cessation of the pension will be regarded as double punishment.
