RIGA, Jan 17 (LETA) - The State Security Service has denied security clearance for access state secrets to a senior municipal official and has issued clearances to eight municipal officials for a shortened period.

The Security Service indicates that it has assessed all applications submitted by municipal executive directors and their deputies for the mandatory security clearance.

As a result of the vetting process, the Security Service decided to deny clearance to one municipal official because of identified risks to protected information. The Security Service issued clearances to eight senior municipal officials for a shortened period - one, two or three years instead of the maximum five years, the Service said.

The special clearances were issued for a shortened period because of identified risk factors, which under the law On Official Secret does not warrant denying clearance. The Security Service will continue to pay increased attention to these persons' activities.

The vetting process included assessing the applicants' reliability and ability to keep state secrets, the Security Service said.

As reported, a requirement for municipal executive directors and their deputies to obtain clearances for access to state secrets came into force on June 1, 2024.

As regards the executive directors or deputy executive directors of municipalities, the Local Governments Law makes it compulsory to obtain the clearance to access state secrets.

If the special security clearance is refused, the executive director or deputy executive director of the municipality will have to be dismissed.

A requirement for municipal mayors and their deputies to obtain security clearances will come into effect after the next regular or snap elections. Latvia is due to hold the next municipal elections this summer.