Escape under the guise of speaking engagements: how former Latvian Justice Minister Baiba Broka "tokenized" the obligation to appear in court

Escape under the guise of speaking engagements: how former Latvian Justice Minister Baiba Broka "tokenized" the obligation to appear in court

As Latvia’s former Minister of Justice gets ready to speak on “asset tokenization” at a high-profile forum in the UAE, she is simultaneously due in Riga City Court to face a straightforward bribery charge—except both are set to take place at the same time.

This is reported by Kompromat-lv.

Baiba Broka’s Instagram page boasts an announcement: she’s scheduled to speak at the prestigious World Token Summit in Dubai on April 29-30, 2026. The topic is "Real-World Asset Tokenization." Ironically, a politician accused in Latvia of illegally manipulating tangible "real-world assets" is now teaching others how to convert these assets into digital code.

The banner features the logos of TheBlock and Vostad, and the venue is Dubai World Trade Centre. Everything looks expensive, high-tech, and as far removed from Latvian justice as possible.

Riga Reality: Hall 210V

However, if we look at the Riga City Court’s court calendar for April 30, 2026, we see a completely different picture.

A criminal case hearing is scheduled for two o’clock this afternoon, and the defendants on the list are the same: Guntris Rāvis, Baiba Broka, and Ivars Millers.

The charge is serious: bribery.

While Latvia’s former Minister of Justice prepares to discuss "asset tokenization" at a lavish forum in the UAE, she is awaiting trial in the Riga City Court on a simple bribery charge. There’s just one problem: both events are scheduled for the same time.

As a reminder, this case stems from the scandal surrounding the construction of the University of Latvia’s Rakstu Māja. According to the prosecution, the bribe was disguised as a donation from the Latvian Biathlon Federation, which Broka headed at the time. In exchange, the prosecution claims, construction giants associated with Rāvis and Millers were supposed to receive the green light for tenders.

The main question that arises when looking at this chart is: How does Baiba Brocka plan to be in two places at once?

The time difference between Riga and Dubai in April is only one hour. Even if Broka were to appear in Dubai on the morning of April 30, she would physically be unable to board a plane and be in the courtroom on Jezusbaznicas Street by 2:00 PM.

Does judge Laura Smukule know about her "ward’s" performance in Dubai?