Who will head the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Latvia? The commission has made a choice, but the final word is with the Saeima

The competition for the position of head of the Bureau for Prevention and Combating Corruption has concluded with the selection of a candidate. The commission decided to recommend Janis Roze, who currently holds the position of deputy head of the agency for operational activities. According to the LETA agency, citing the State Chancellery, Roze's candidacy will be sent to Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs for further consideration by the government. However, Roze has not yet been appointed as the head of the BPBC. First, his candidacy must be supported by the Cabinet of Ministers, after which the final decision will be made by the Saeima. The head of the anti-corruption bureau is appointed for five years. ### Who is Janis Roze Roze is well acquainted with the work of the anti-corruption agency and has previously held several managerial positions within it. In 2014, he headed the internal security department of the BPBC. This position was offered to him by the then head of the bureau, Jaroslav Streļčonoks. In the summer of 2016, Roze became the deputy head for anti-corruption issues. Subsequently, he took the position of deputy for operational activities. Before joining the BPBC, Roze worked in the Security Police, which is now known as the State Security Service. Thus, the commission settled on the candidacy of a person with many years of experience within the agency, rather than an external candidate. ### How the competition was conducted The selection of the new head consisted of two stages. Initially, the commission checked the candidates' documents and their compliance with mandatory requirements. In the next stage, the professional qualifications, experience, knowledge, and candidates' views on the future development of the bureau were assessed. Particular attention was to be paid to the priorities of the agency's work and proposals for improving anti-corruption measures in Latvia. Another candidate, Reinik, did not make it to the second round. According to LETA, he has been working at the BPBC since approximately 2006 and previously served in the State Police. Both employees declined to comment to the agency on their participation in the competition. The commission includes heads of the State Chancellery, the Prosecutor General's Office, the Bureau for the Protection of the Constitution, and the State Security Service. Representatives of the Public Advisory Council may also be involved in the selection process with advisory voting rights. ### Why the BPBC needed a new head The position of head of the bureau became vacant after the unexpected departure of Jakabs Straume, who retired in early August after years of service, not waiting for the end of his term. He did not publicly explain the reasons for his decision. Straume first headed the BPBC in June 2017 and was appointed for a second five-year term in 2022. After his departure, the duties of the head are temporarily performed by deputy head Ineta Cirule. She did not participate in the competition for the permanent position. Now the appointment of a new head depends on the decisions of the government and parliament. Until this procedure is completed, the BPBC will continue to operate under temporary leadership.