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1941. He had also obtained a Master of Laws degree from the University of Riga in 1938 and had been a vice-prosecutor at the Latvian military court. He testified that he arrived at the Merkela Street Defense headquarters in Riga where he worked as a communications officer until approximately the middle of July 1941. He saw the respondent in Riga at the headquarters in the first days of July, approximately the sixth or the seventh, and recalls that the respondent's hair was cut very short and that he had heard or read that the respondent had been in prison. Later he was assigned to the Riga District Court as vice-prosecutor where he stayed until July 1942. He saw the respondent often at the Annas Street headquarters which was also an officer's club. He knew that the respondent was the chief of administration there. Afterwards, the witness worked as a legal officer at the Annas Street headquarters and often saw the respondent there. He also knew that he became a major near the end of 1945 in the Latvian Legion and testified it would have been impossible for the respondent to be dressed in a German uniform in 1941 or 1942. He added that the Riga police force was separate from the Annas Street headquarters.

Another witness who was deposed at Melbourne, Australia was Valentins Sirants. He testified that he was a bookkeeper for the Latvian Self Defense headquarters in Riga and that he started working there during the second half of July-1941 at which time the headquarters were located at Annas Street. He knew that the respondent was a captain and also head of the administrative department. He saw the respondent almost daily because their offices were on the same floor. The respondent wore a military uniform while the witness was dressed in civilian clothes because he was a non-commissioned officer. The witness worked there until 1944 but knew that the respondent left approximately one year before, when he was transferred.

Another witness deposed in Australia was Verners Voitkus who is a pastor (d. p. 11). He fled from Latvia to Germany during the Russian occupation and returned to Latvia after the Germans invaded it (d. p. 22). He testified that he worked at the Annas Street headquarters as a translator and later was transferred to the Latvian Legion where he was appointed chaplain for the 19th division (d. p. 63). He escaped from Latvia in 1945 and wound up in Germany from where he went to Australia.

The witness testified that he returned to Riga approximately on July 7 or 8, 1941 and went to the Latvian Society building in Riga where he noticed the respondent. He noticed the respondent because his hair was cut very short and it looked very funny to

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1Testimony of Verness Voitkus, 2-November-1978, deposition.
2Testimony of Verness Voitkus, 2-November-1978, deposition.
3Testimony of Verness Voitkus, 2-November-1978, deposition.
Updated: September, 2023
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