Foto: BB.LV / Рейнис Узулниекс
After the scandal of driving under heavy alcohol intoxication, former Minister of Welfare Reinis Uzulnieks has become a frequent guest on various podcasts. In interviews, he talks about what happened and how his life has changed since his detention, reports [TV3 News](https://tv3.lv/zinas/latvija/dzeruma-pie-stures-piekertais-uzulnieks-joprojam-turpina-vadit-auto-kapec-ta/). However, one detail causes particular surprise among those around him: Uzulnieks still drives a car himself. In September, he was stopped in the Ropaži municipality. A check showed 3.09 promille of alcohol in his exhaled air. Despite this, the former minister has not yet lost his driver's license. ### “I Need to Take My Child to Kindergarten” In Arthur Dedzis's podcast titled “One Mistake Doesn’t Overturn Everything I’ve Done,” Uzulnieks explained why he continues to use his car. > “I have a two-year-old child who needs to be taken to kindergarten. As long as I have my license, I do this in the mornings, since my wife starts work at 10:00. Of course, when I no longer have my license, my wife will take him,” the former minister explained. According to him, after his detention, people often expressed surprise when they saw him behind the wheel. Sometimes the reaction was quite emotional. > “There was an interesting case: my wife’s sister lent me a car, and then one person immediately jumped up with a phone and started filming me through the window. This was about a week after everything happened,” Uzulnieks recounted. He admitted that he was nervous at that time, but now he would react differently. > “Now, I would probably get out of the car and ask: what do you want from me?” the ex-minister added. At the same time, Uzulnieks emphasizes that he is not breaking the law, as punishment only comes into effect after a corresponding court decision. “I have the right to drive now!” he stated. ### Why Didn’t the Police Prohibit Him from Driving? The State Police reported that the investigation into the case of driving while intoxicated took only two days. On September 15, the materials were submitted to the prosecutor's office for criminal prosecution in an expedited manner. However, no precautionary measures were applied to Uzulnieks that would limit his activities. > “After evaluating the materials obtained during the criminal process, no precautionary measures were applied to the suspect, including a ban on certain activities,” explained State Police representative Elina Priede. She added that the prosecutor's office and the court also have the right to make decisions on precautionary measures if there are legal grounds for it. However, in this case, a ban on driving a personal vehicle was not applied. ### Prosecutor's Office: Until Conviction, the Driver Retains His Rights The Prosecutor General's Office confirmed that Uzulnieks can indeed legally operate a vehicle. Until the court issues a guilty verdict that has entered into legal force, a person is not considered guilty in accordance with the law. Therefore, restricting his right to operate a vehicle without appropriate legal grounds would be unjustified. > “In this situation, there is no ban for Uzulnieks. If he considers it necessary, appropriate, and ethical, he can act accordingly, but he must assess his behavior himself,” stated Prosecutor General's Office representative Santa Valuma. She explained that in such criminal cases, the legislation does not provide for a general precautionary measure that would allow prohibiting the suspect from using a vehicle for personal purposes. An exception may be made if driving is directly related to the person's professional duties. For example, a bus driver or another worker whose activities involve operating a vehicle may be prohibited from performing such work to prevent further threats. > “This person's immediate work duties were not related to driving. It was also taken into account that he had not been previously convicted, so such a ban could not be applied under the law,” Valuma explained. Thus, even criminal prosecution for driving a vehicle under heavy intoxication does not automatically mean a ban on getting behind the wheel. ### When Can Uzulnieks Lose His Driver's License? The hearing of the former minister's criminal case in the Rīga District Court is scheduled for January 27 of next year. It is this court proceeding that will determine his guilt and possible punishment. If a guilty verdict is issued and enters into legal force, Uzulnieks will lose his right to operate vehicles in accordance with the assigned punishment. Until that moment, his driver's license remains valid. Therefore, despite the circumstances of the September detention and public outrage, the mere fact of the former minister appearing behind the wheel is not currently a violation of the law.
