In 2009, Helmanis was charged with being part of an extortion racket and was convicted in April 2018, which was then appealed. Helmanis stated throughout that being charged with extortion would not interfere with his duties on the Ogre Municipality Council.[1]
In 2016, Helmanis admitted that he had trained members of the right-wing anti-immigrant vigilante group Tēvijas Sargi (Fatherland Guards).[4]
Before the 2017 municipal elections, Helmanis demanded before that local journalists sign a document agreeing not to pry into his private life.[1]
In early 2018 Helmanis was in conflict with Latvian Radio journalist Edgars Kupčs, who in an investigative report uncovered highly questionable practices in a tender for Ogre municipal vehicles that seemed to rule out everything but high-line luxury models with a lengthy range of optional extras. Helmanis demanded the story be retracted from both LR and LSM, which was refused.
On 21 August 2019, the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau detained Helmanis over suspected misappropriation of municipal funds,[1][5] but the criminal process was later terminated due to lack of evidence.[6]
In late 2023, Helmanis was criticized for inviting sanctioned Russian oligarch Petr Aven to organize a porcelain exhibition at the Ogre History and Art Museum amid museum employee allegations of pressure and threats, culminating in a Helmanis-ordered sealing of the museum director's office and firing of the head staff of the museum. A protest was organized in front of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development on April 20, in which protesters demanded the sacking of Helmanis and the council, which is among the powers of the ministry.[7]
In December 2024, the Latvian Ombudsman Juris Jansons announced that violations of political neutrality and misinformation were found in the Independence Day greetings of Egils Helmanis to the local residents in the municipal newsletter Savietis. The greeting espoused anti-civil unions overtones, stating that: "At a time when we should be fighting for a mood of masculinity and militancy in the nation, we have a government fighting for the right of two men to marry. (..) Look for the Kangars [fictional character] in the Latvian people".[8]
