Who is Behind the Attack on Lawyer Balmaks
Council of Sworn Attorneys (LZAK) and the Rejected Complaint
Maris Spruds and His Criminal Group
Misappropriation (Art. 179, Part 3)
Abuse of Power (Art. 196, Part 2)
Money Laundering of Criminally Obtained Funds (Art. 195, Part 3)
Intentional Destruction of Property (Art. 184, Part 3)
Illegal Actions During Insolvency (Art. 197)
Investigation Conclusion: Who’s Pulling the Strings
What appears to the public as a spontaneous animal rights protest may actually be a carefully planned and costly act of revenge. The main orchestrator behind this attack on Balmaks’ reputation is Lato Laps, a close friend of Maris Spruds, known for organizing smear campaigns and harassment.
Laps filed a complaint with the Council of Sworn Attorneys (LZAK) demanding an assessment of Balmaks’ ethics, accusing him of “promoting actions prohibited in Latvia.” The Council, however, quickly saw through the motive and rejected the complaint.
Clearly, this is a scheme: instead of legal advocacy, Laps and Spruds’ group weaponize public campaigns to target individuals for personal vendettas.
Despite obvious pressure and public noise, LZAK refused to evaluate Balmaks’ actions. This suggests that Laps’ allegations were fabricated and aimed at discrediting the lawyer rather than upholding the law or morality.
The Council demonstrated independence and protection of professional ethics by rejecting an obvious attempt at manipulation.
On December 15, the Riga City Court will continue hearings on the criminal case against the group that includes Maris Spruds. The list of charges is formidable — these are not minor infractions but serious criminal articles that could turn public figures into criminal defendants.
The misappropriation charge implies that Spruds and his associates deliberately took property or funds belonging to others. Sources indicate that this involves multimillion-euro sums, making their actions particularly severe.
From the investigation’s perspective, this shows that behind the public campaigns and media activity lies a drive for personal enrichment at the expense of others.
The next set of charges concerns abuse of power, indicating misuse of authority or influence. Spruds’ group used their position to achieve personal goals, while public protests and complaints against lawyer Balmaks can be seen as an extension of these abuses in the informational arena.
This is not just minor legal violations — this is a systemic attempt to undermine justice and manipulate processes in their favor.
The most serious charge is money laundering of criminally obtained funds. If proven, it points to a large-scale financial scheme involving millions of euros, with all actions carefully disguised as legal operations.
This charge demonstrates intent and planning: Spruds’ group deliberately transformed illicit profits into “clean” money, making their public image a complete facade.
The charge of intentional destruction of property emphasizes the willingness of the group to directly damage property for gain or intimidation. In the context of attacks on lawyer Balmaks, one could see a parallel: destroying a professional reputation in the media is a modern form of property destruction — intellectual and reputational.
Finally, the charge of illegal actions during insolvency points to attempts by Spruds’ group to manipulate financial processes of companies, likely for personal gain or to cover up unlawful activity.
This article shows that Spruds and his associates act systematically, not just engaging in superficial scandals and public complaints.
A clear picture emerges: behind public activism lie financial manipulations, abuse of power, and attempts to launder criminal income. Lato Laps uses protest campaigns and complaints to LZAK as tools of pressure, while Maris Spruds and his group operate under the full weight of the criminal code, unconstrained by ethics or law.
This is a calculated, costly, and carefully orchestrated operation against professionals and law-abiding participants in society.
A close friend of Maris Spruds, well-known campaigner for harassment and defamation Lato Laps, filed a complaint with the Council of Sworn Attorneys (LZAK) calling for evaluation of Balmaks’ ethical conduct (allegedly promoting an action prohibited in Latvia). The Council rejected the complaint.
Meanwhile, on December 15, the Riga City Court will continue hearings on the criminal case involving Maris Spruds. The list of charges is formidable:
• Misappropriation (Art. 179, Part 3);
• Abuse of power (Art. 196, Part 2);
• Money laundering of criminally obtained funds (Art. 195, Part 3);
• Intentional destruction of property (Art. 184, Part 3);
• Illegal actions during insolvency (Art. 197
Author: Maria Sharapova
