News articles on this issue can be found e.g. in Baltic News Network. Read there in English or LatvianAbstract of the article published in BNN on August 3rd, 2012 with reference to Aivars Gobins:

Dzintars Kass disgraces himself over trumped-up charges

August 3, 2012

The Ventspils prosecutor Nadezda Jakusonoka on July 24, 2012 dismissed alleged charges of intentionally concealing information from the tax authorities (Art. 217, Subsection 2 of the Criminal Code) against the legitimate Ventbunkers management board members Alvis Haze, Janis Haze and Mihhail Dementjevs. Thereby she rejected false accusations and established that their activities had no nature of offence in accordance with this clause.

An investigation against the legitimate Ventbunkers Management was initiated in March 2012 by the false «Berkis Management» of Ventbunkers with the Latvian Finance Police on the basis of misrepresented facts submitted by the false Ventbunkers Chairman, Dzintars Kass. It is loudly rumoured that a big brown envelope was involved and methods of doubtful legality were applied to «convince» the Finance Police to start an investigation. In late December 2011, Berkis and his puppets had reached a false registration in the Commercial Register by criminal methods based on falsified documents prepared by the master of falsified shareholders meetings, Martins Kveps.

The Ventspils Prosecutor Jakusonoka’s decision proves that Kass and his sponsor, the controversial and to the ruling party’s Unity «black funds» related Ventspils’ millionaire Olafs Berkis, had spread false information about the legitimate Ventbunkers Management. False documents were used by Berkis and his accomplices to obtain a false registration of management positions in Ventbunkers to which they were never elected in a legal way.

Read on in Baltic News Network englisch Version

Ventbunkers / LUKOIL daughter Litasco negotiations without result. Will the Latvian government intervene?

Rudolf Meroni, chairman of A/S Ventbunkers Supervisory Board, informs that the negotiations between Ventbunkers and the Lukoil subsidiary Litasco did not lead to any result because of the totally unreasonable position of Litasco. Ventbunkers will call for the intervention of the Latvian Government.

On Friday evening a second meeting between the two teams of A/s Ventbunkers (VBU) headed by Dr. Rudolf Meroni, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board, and Litasco’s CEO, Sergei Chaplygin, took place in Zurich, Switzerland. Unfortunately, the meeting did not bring any results, because of the totally unreasonable position of Litasco. VBU had submitted a proposal to Litasco to lift its fuel oil and to effect the payment of a hidden amount of 20 million EUR.

You may want to read the full press release: Ventbunkers / LITASCO negotiations without result

This interesting press release sheds more light on the strange case between LITASCO (a LUKOIL daughter company) and AS Ventbunkers.

Ventbunkers hopes for better results in the negotiations with Litasco

A meeting in Zurich earlier this week, between Litasco and Ventbunkers (VBU), ended with no real results because Litasco decided to play some games. The VBU management hopes for better results at the next round of talks scheduled for today, January 28.

“At least we were able to sit down at one table with the CEO of Litasco, Mr. Chaplygin,” stated Rudolf Meroni, Chairman of the VBU Supervisory Board. ‘This in itself is an achievement, something the VBU management was waiting for. A problem of this magnitude should be resolved without delay. We need results and we need them now. Every day is costing hundred thousand USD or more, but Litasco prefers to play games.“

Read the full press release: Ventbunkers negotiating with LITASCO

Rudolf Meroni (A/s Ventbunkers) and Sergei Chaplygin (Litasco SA)  return to the negotiation table

Dr. Rudolf Meroni the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of A/s Ventbunkers (VBU) informed that after weeks of a stalemate in the dispute  with the Lukoil subsidiary Litasco, the parties have agreed on negotiations to discuss the problems regarding oil fuel stored at the Ventbunkers terminal located in the port city of Ventspils, Latvia.

Read the full press release: Rudolf Meroni (Ventbunkers) and Sergei Chaplygin (Litasco)

Rudolf Meroni: Litasco is running out of time. Ventbunkers will store fuel oil offshore.

Litasco (a subsidiary of LUKOIL) is illegally blocking A/s Ventbunkers’ (VBU) terminal facilities in an attempt to illegally force VBU to sign a fuel oil transshipment agreement for 2011.

At the same time Litasco blocks the export of fuel oil by rail through Latvia causing millions of damages to the Latvian economy. According to Aivars Gobins, Ventbunkers Media Director, Litasco has only a few days left to lift their fuel oil from VBU terminal before the first vessel, chartered by VBU, arrives in Ventspils port later this week to store the fuel oil offshore on account of Litsaco. However, the Latvian customs authorities still have to approve this measure.

Read the full Press release as PDF file: Rudolf Meroni: Litasco is running out of time.