Latvia declines case on Stoli owner's claims about Šķēle

The State Security Service (VDD) has declined to start criminal proceedings on a submission from Russia-born billionaire Yuri Shefler, owner of the alcoholic-drinks producer Stoli, in which he urged an investigation into former Latvian prime minister Andris Šķēle, the LETA news agency reported.

After assessing the submission within its remit, the VDD found no signs of a criminal offence that falls within the service’s competence. On 13 October it decided to refuse to open a case and informed the applicant, LETA learned from the service.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Shefler claimed that Šķēle is linked to the inner circle of Russian leader Vladimir Putin and, on Moscow’s orders, is trying to take over his company SPI Group. He said the takeover attempt is part of a broader Kremlin plan to punish him for resisting Putin’s efforts to renationalise the company 20 years ago and for criticising Russia’s renewed invasion of Ukraine. He added that Putin regarded him as so great a threat that Russia’s Federal Security Service tried to kidnap him in 2005 on the way to Kyrgyzstan.

Shefler said Putin has changed tactics and is using Šķēle to destroy his companies. He said he had filed documents with Latvia’s VDD urging an investigation of the former prime minister’s actions, including links with people close to Vladimir Putin and what Shefler called an obvious role in efforts to take control of the company from him. In 2022, protesting Russia’s renewed invasion of Ukraine, he changed the vodka brand name from Stolichnaya to Stoli.

In documents given to the VDD and also seen by The Telegraph, Shefler claimed that Šķēle met him in Riga on 1 September 2026 and demanded that he give up control of his companies. Shefler said Šķēle offered to resolve SPI Group’s existing financial problems by taking over the company. Shefler said he categorically rejected the offer and accused Šķēle of acting in the interests of Putin’s agents.

Šķēle, in a statement to The Telegraph, categorically denied Shefler’s claims.

It has also been reported that, after legal protection proceedings for drinks producer AS Amber Latvijas balzams ended, the State Revenue Service again blocked the company’s accounts. Amber Latvijas balzams belongs to Amber Beverage Group, an international producer and distributor of alcoholic drinks with its head office in Luxembourg and production and distribution companies in the Baltic states and elsewhere. Shefler owns Amber Beverage Group.