The Latvian Anti-Corruption Agency has arrested the Governor of the Central Bank of Latvia, Ilmars Rimσεeviks.
Prime Minister Maris Koussinski has assured the country that its economy and financial system remain stable.
However, in a statement sent to Reuters, it did not say why Rimσεevi επίσης, who is also a member of the European Central Bank's governing body, was arrested and detained, nor did he elaborate on the investigation.
As Kusinski stressed, "there is no sign of risk for the Latvian financial system."
For her part, Finance Minister Dana Reisnice-Ozola called on Ricevics to step down at this stage in order to protect Latvia's reputation.
"Given that the central banker is a symbol for every country, I think it would make sense at this time, and at least for the duration of the investigation, to resign," he told a news conference.
"In the current circumstances… every day that Mr Rimσεevi παρα remains governor of the central bank, the situation (for the reputation of the Latvian financial system) is deteriorating significantly," she added.
Rimσεeviτς's lawyer, Solventis Varpins, said in a statement to the Latvian state television that the governor of the country's Central Bank was detained at 18.15 local time on Saturday after he arrived for questioning at his office. corruption.
He stressed that he has no information on whether Rimseviks will be released, while he refrained from commenting because his client was under the microscope of the authorities.
Varpins has argued that his client's detention is illegal.
The anti-corruption service will give a press conference tomorrow at 13.00 Greek time.
Ilmars Rimσεevics took over as Governor of the Central Bank in 2001, and has been a member of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank since January 2014, when Latvia adopted the euro.
An ECB spokesman declined to comment.
Latvian Economy Minister Arvil Aserandens, who spoke to Radio Latvia, also said the governor should consider resigning.
On Friday, the authorities carried out searches in the house and the office of the central banker, the state television network broadcast yesterday.