Ilmārs Poikāns (born November 4, 1978) is a Latvian AI researcher at the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of Latvia. He has used the pseudonym Neo (of The Matrix), and is also known in the press as Latvia's "Robin Hood".[1]
Poikans alleged that both Valdis Dombrovskis, who is a European Commission Vice President responsible for the integrity of the euro, and the Bank of Latvia Governor Ilmars Rimsevics, who is a member of the council of European Central Bank, supported the fraud conducted at Parex Bank and that Rimsevics received a very large sum for his efforts.[2]
Allegations of illegal access to tax records
editIlmārs Poikāns was arrested and later released; prosecutors released a statement saying "Taking into consideration his attitude, his confession of the crime, and his cooperation in the investigation, we did not seek his pre-trial detention." Some allege that the arrest came as a result of a search of TV journalist Ilze Nagla's house on Tuesday May 11, 2010.[3]
After his arrest there were reports of a flash mob outside the government's cabinet office.[4]
Ilmārs is alleged to have illegally accessed 7.5 million tax records and divulged pay rises for some high-ranking public sector employees, while rank-and-file employees were forced to take pay cuts as high as 30%.
Poikāns was granted a presidential pardon on December 18, 2017.[5]
Notes
edit- ^ "Latvian police release 'Robin Hood' hacker amid protests". AFP. May 13, 2010. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
- ^ Juzgado, Al (30 July 2016). "Documented: Parex Bank and Tambovskaya Mafia". Lawless Latvia. Archived from the original on 16 September 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
- ^ "Police raid journalist's house, take computer". Baltic Reports. May 12, 2010. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
- ^ "Latvia's 'Robin Hood' hacker unmasked as AI researcher". The Register. May 14, 2010. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
- ^ "President pardons whistleblower 'Neo'". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. December 19, 2017. Retrieved December 24, 2017.