Moscow ex-mayor Yury Luzhkov has requested a Latvian residence permit, which the country's Interior Ministry is reluctant to issue.
Luzhkov was sacked last year by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev following an extensive smear campaign against the mayor by the press.
Latvian Interior Minister Linda Murniece said Luzhkov did not "deserve" the status and was unlikely to get it.
"He does not deserve it because of his negative attitude towards our country and he is highly unlikely to get it. I, as a minister, have authority to make such decisions," she said.
She earlier said that Latvia would request Russia's aid in establishing whether the money that Luzhkov put on his account was acquired lawfully.
Luzhkov made a 200,000 lat ($400,000) investment into the subordinated capital of Latvia's commercial bank Rietumu Banka, which gives him enough legal grounds to apply for permanent residence. In addition, he owns real estate in the country.
"Law enforcers are checking all available information on Luzhkov and, I presume, there will be some sort of legal reason not to issue this permit," Murniece said in an interview with the country's TV3 channel.
The Latvian embassy in Moscow has confirmed the information.
"We received the application from Luzhkov. Under the rules, we are to consider it within 30 days after receiving it. But the process may take up to four months if questions arise from special services who check the applicant," a spokesman for the embassy's citizenship and migration department, Andrei Ryabtsev, said.
The deputy speaker of Latvian parliament said Luzhkov's application should be considered according to the normal procedure.
"We have legislation, and it is the same for everyone. Luzhkov's application should be considered according to the normal procedure, just like any other request," said Gundars Daudze, who also heads the parliament's national security committee.
Under Latvian immigration laws, a foreigner may seek a residence permit if he or she bought real estate worth from 50,000 to 100,000 lat ($100,000-200,000) or has 200,000 lat ($400,000) on the Latvian banking account.
Online media earlier reported Luzhkov also filed a request for a British visa.
Medvedev fired Luzhkov, who had been in office since 1992, last fall over "loss of confidence," later citing exuberant Moscow's corruption and negligence of direct duties the main reasons for the dismissal.
RIGA, January 17 (RIA Novosti)
