On Monday, Lithuania's Prosecutor General's Office said it had opened a pre-trial investigation after Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas shared on Facebook details about a tank deal.
"In response to MP Agnė Širinskienė’s statement on the possible disclosure of an official secret, the Prosecutor General's Office has decided to open a pre-trial investigation," the statement reads.
"More detailed information on the progress and outcome of this pre-trial investigation will be made available to the public as soon as possible [and] as long as it does not undermine the investigation," the statement adds.
Anušauskas was criticised by the president and other officials last week after he disclosed the country's plans to acquire the German Leopard tanks. President Nausėda alleges the information was marked as “restricted-use”, which Anušauskas denies, saying Lithuania had previously disclosed it would purchase tanks.
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Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė voiced her confidence in the defence minister last week.
Later on Monday, Anušauskas said the prosecutor’s decision was “a normal step if the goal is really to investigate the situation objectively and in detail”.
“I believe that this investigation will establish that the law was not violated on my part," he added.
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