Challenges for ACAs
Complementary Case Study
Mending fractures that give spoilers a foothold (KNAB and KPK)

Internal fault lines can make an ACA appear weak and conflicted. Antagonists can create factions that play against one another, either in the media or behind the scenes. ACA leaders need channels to resolve internal disagreements in order to present a unified face to their staff, their partner agencies, and the public.

When Aleksejs Loskutovs took the lead of Latvia’s KNAB, he was not trusted by his deputy and predecessor, Juta Strīķe, because of past personal conflicts and Strīķe’s belief that Latvia’s oligarchs had backed Loskutovs’s appointment. The prime minister urged Loskutovs to fire Strīķe, but Loskutovs refused and told Strīķe about the incident, saying, “[We might have] different attitudes and personalities, but if we wish KNAB to survive, we have to stand back-to-back and fight in all directions.” By standing by his deputy in the face of high-level pressure, Loskutovs turned a contentious relationship into a strong bond that helped KNAB make gains in the face of political adversity.