Latvia plans to set a fine of $10,000 for false calls of emergencies services, including calls to police and fire fighters, the country's interior minister said.
The Interior Ministry decided to increase the fine after the hoax meteorite strike staged in the Baltic state by a Latvian mobile operator, Tele2, in October last year.
"The Interior Ministry immediately decided to introduce amendments to the legislation after the incident... According to the amendments a fine for a fake call will total 5,000 lats [$10,000]. This is what we have done to prevent similar incidents in the future," Linda Murniece said in an interview with Latvian PRO100 television channel.
A fine for a fake call of emergencies services in Latvia currently stands at several hundred U.S. dollars. The country's parliament has to approve the amendments before a new fine of $10,000 will come into force.
Latvian media reported on October 26 that a celestial body fell near a residential house on the outskirts of the town of Mazsalaca in the Valmiera district of Latvia leaving a crater some 20 meters (66 feet) in diameter and 10 meters (33 feet) deep.
Scientists who studied the site said the meteorite story was a fake and Tele2 admitted later that it was involved in staging the hoax. However, as the story broke out significant number of police, fire fighters and even military personnel arrived at the scene to investigate the incident.
RIGA, January 20 (RIA Novosti)
