The Latvian competition authority (KP) has decided not to appeal a court ruling from September 29, 2026, which partially upheld a claim by the chairman of SIA 'Stiga RM' against the authority. The court mandated KP to amend a letter sent to the Riga municipality regarding the merger of the sawmill 'Norupe'.

The court's decision required KP to remove specific information from the letter and to pay the chairman of SIA 'Stiga RM' a sum of 100 EUR. In light of this ruling, KP evaluated the practicality of further legal action and opted not to pursue an appeal, adhering to principles of good governance.

KP clarified that all members agreed on the letter's dispatch, which was prepared by the Executive Institution and signed by the then-chairman J. Gaiķis. The letter referenced public allegations regarding the chairman's potential involvement in bribery, following KP's approval for SIA 'Stiga RM' to acquire assets from SIA 'Rīgas meži'.

In compliance with the court's ruling, KP has already amended the letter and sent the revised version to the Riga municipality. The authority will also fulfill other obligations outlined in the court's decision.

The actions of KP regarding the letter were previously assessed by the Senate, which found that KP did not express an opinion or make claims about the individual's involvement in criminal activities but referred to publicly available information. The Senate noted that any potential reputational harm would be linked to the media publication's content rather than KP's actions.

However, the Zemgale District Court emphasized that the Senate's conclusions were not decisive in this civil case, as different legal questions were evaluated in both proceedings.