RIGA, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Latvian central bank governor Ilmars Rimsevics has been detained by the country’s anti-corruption agency, the prime minister’s office said in a statement on Sunday.

“The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) has applied the status of being detained to the Governor of Bank of Latvia [Ilmars Rimsevics],” Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

The home and office of the central bank’s governor was searched on Friday, the state broadcaster said on Saturday. (Reporting by Gederts Gelzis; Editing by Toby Chopra)</s>Latvia’s anti-corruption authority said on Monday it had detained Central Bank governor Ilmars Rimsevics over the weekend for demanding a bribe, Reuters reports. “The criminal procedure is about demanding a bribe of no less than €100,000 [US$124,000],” said Jekabs Straume, the head of Latvia’s Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau. Separately on Monday, the European Central Bank stopped all payments by ABLV Bank, Latvia’s third biggest lender, over liquidity concerns after the US Treasury accused it of money laundering. Straume said the US allegations do “not relate to this criminal procedure [detention] in any way at the moment.”</s>RIGA, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Latvian central bank governor Ilmars Rimsevics has been detained by the country’s anti-corruption agency, the prime minister’s office said in a statement on Sunday.

“The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) has applied the status of being detained to the Governor of Bank of Latvia [Ilmars Rimsevics],” Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

The home and office of the central bank’s governor was searched on Friday, the state broadcaster said on Saturday. (Reporting by Gederts Gelzis; Editing by Toby Chopra)</s>RIGA, Feb 19 (Reuters) - The head of Latvia's central bank should resign following his detention by the anti-corruption agency, Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis said on Monday.

Latvia's Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau detained Governor Ilmars Rimsevics on Saturday after searching his house and office.

"I can't imagine that a governor of the Bank of Latvia detained over such a serious accusation could work," Kucinskis told Latvian television .

"So in his case, of course, I think that he should himself (resign)."

Rimsevics' lawyer has said the detention of the central bank Governor is unlawful.

The government is holding an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the case and the anti-corruption agency will hold a news conference at 1100 GMT.

Neither the anti-corruption agency nor Rimsevics' lawyer has commented on the reason for his detention.

The Latvian central bank is an independent institution and Rimsevics has been its head since 2001. He has been a member of the European Central Bank's Governing Council since January 2014, when Latvia adopted the euro. (Reporting by Gederts Gelzis; Editing by Toby Chopra)</s>RIGA, Latvia — The prime minister of Latvia says the country's top central banker has been detained following questions from the national anti-corruption agency.

Maris Kucinskis issued a statement Sunday confirming that Ilmars Rimsevics, a policymaker of the European Central Bank, was detained.

On Saturday evening, Latvian state TV showed Rimsevics arriving by car to the anti-corruption agency and leaving hours later. The state TV reported that Rimsevics' office and one of his properties had been raided.

The anti-corruption agency, the Bank of Latvia and the European Central Bank all declined to comment.

Kucinskis said "there are no signs of a threat to the Latvian financial system." In a tweet, the Latvian presidency said there would be a meeting of the National Security Council next week to discuss the banking sector.</s>Anti-corruption authorities in Latvia have arrested the governor of the country's central bank, Ilmars Rimsevics, the government said Sunday, while assuring there is "no sign of danger" to the financial system.

[RIGA] Anti-corruption authorities in Latvia have arrested the governor of the country's central bank, Ilmars Rimsevics, the government said Sunday, while assuring there is "no sign of danger" to the financial system.

Rimsevics, who was appointed governor in 2001, was detained by officers from the Corruption Prevention Bureau (KNAB) on Saturday and questioned for seven hours before being taken to another location on Sunday, according to a journalist from the Baltic News Agency (BNS).

Local media said anti-corruption officers also raided the governor's residence and his offices at the Bank of Latvia.

Latvian Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis confirmed the arrest but insisted there was "no sign of danger for the Latvian financial system".

"For now, neither I (as prime minister) nor any other official has any reason to interfere in the work of the KNAB. The office (KNAB) is working professionally," Kucinskis told BNS, the Latvian news agency.

"When KNAB considers it possible to give additional information to the public, it will do so," he added.

KNAB declined to comment and no reason was given for the arrest.

The corruption bureau will make a comment "as soon as possible," spokeswoman Laura Dusa said, giving no indication as to why Kucinskis had been arrested.

As Latvia is part of the euro area, Rimsevics is also a member of main body of the European Central Bank (ECB), known as the Governing Council, composed of the 19 governors of the eurozone.

The government is due to hold an emergency cabinet meeting on Monday.

Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis said on Twitter that he would meet the National Security Council to discuss the "situation in the banking sector", without specifying a date.

LTV public television reported that businessman Maris Martinsons, who operates in the construction and credit industries, had also been arrested by KNAB.

Earlier this month The US Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) took action against Latvia's ABLV, one of the largest private banks in the Baltics, over concerns about money laundering and activities linked to North Korea's weapons programme.</s>RIGA, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Latvian central bank governor Ilmars Rimsevics has been detained by the country’s anti-corruption agency, the prime minister’s office said in a statement on Sunday.

“The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) has applied the status of being detained to the Governor of Bank of Latvia [Ilmars Rimsevics],” Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

The home and office of the central bank’s governor was searched on Friday, the state broadcaster said on Saturday. (Reporting by Gederts Gelzis; Editing by Toby Chopra)</s>"The criminal procedure is about demanding a bribe of no less than 100,000 euros (£88,558)," Jekabs Straume, the head of Latvia's Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau told reporters at a news conference.

Separately on Monday, the European Central Bank stopped all payments by ABLV Bank, Latvia's third biggest lender, over liquidity concerns after the U.S. Treasury accused it of money laundering.

Straume said the U.S. allegations do "not relate to this criminal procedure (detention) in any way at the moment".</s>Image copyright Reuters Image caption No official reason has yet been given for Mr Rimsevics' detention

The head of Latvia's central bank, Ilmars Rimsevics, has been detained by the country's anti-corruption agency.

His home and offices at the Bank of Latvia were both raided by officers.

The country's Corruption Prevention Bureau gave no details about its investigation, or the nature of the raids.

Latvia's Prime Minister, Maris Kucinskis, has called an emergency cabinet meeting on Monday - but added there was no apparent national threat.

"There are no signs that there is any threat to the Latvian financial system," he said in a statement.

He said neither he, as prime minister, nor any other officials had any reason to interfere with the anti-corruption agency's work.

"The institution works professionally and accurately," he said, pledging the government's full support and saying there would be no outside influence.

The Bank of Latvia said it could not comment on the investigation, but said it had a "zero tolerance policy in respect of corruption and other illicit activities".

It said the bank's operations were unaffected by the investigation, and that it would open on Monday as usual.

A number of banks in Latvia have been subject to investigations in recent months.

In July 2017, two banks were fined for allowing their clients to circumvent international sanctions preventing payments to North Korea.

Another, Norvik Bank, is embroiled in a dispute with the state over what it calls "unfair, arbitrary, improperly motivated and unreasonable regulatory treatment".

Precisely what that entails has not been disclosed.

It is unclear if either of the investigations are in any way linked to the detention of Mr Rimsevics.

In his capacity as the governor of Latvia's central bank, Mr Rimsevic is also a member of the European Central Bank's governing council.

Latvia became the 18th member of the Eurozone on 1 January 2014.</s>RIGA, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Latvian central bank governor Ilmars Rimsevics has been detained by the country’s anti-corruption agency, the prime minister’s office said in a statement on Sunday.

“The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) has applied the status of being detained to the Governor of Bank of Latvia [Ilmars Rimsevics],” Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

The home and office of the central bank’s governor was searched on Friday, the state broadcaster said on Saturday. (Reporting by Gederts Gelzis; Editing by Toby Chopra)
The Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau detains the head of the Bank of Latvia, Ilmārs Rimšēvičs. In response, Latvia's Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis calls an emergency cabinet meeting but added there was no apparent threat to the Latvian financial system.