Lithuania’s Special Investigation Service (STT) says it has summoned the country’s outgoing Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas for questioning, following his allegations of possible corruption in defence procurement.
“We are currently talking to the minister,” STT director Linas Pernavas told reporters after he met President Gitanas Nausėda on Wednesday.
Presidential adviser Kęstutis Budrys said after the meeting that the president had asked the services for information on possible involvement of specific politicians “in one or another procurement, process or project” and expected to receive answers before appointing a new defence minister.
“The president expects to receive this information during the appointment process itself and in more detail, if there are any, because it cannot be so in Lithuania that you mention something somewhere, you draw a cloud over your head and you stay walking with that cloud. There has to be clarity and specificity: if there are some episodes, we need to investigate them and not to walk around in the dark,” Budrys noted.
Anušauskas handed in his resignation letter on Friday, saying he was asked to step down by the prime minister. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Anušauskas intimated that private companies were aggressively pursuing defence contracts, including by trying to bribe people in the national defence system.
The politician claimed he “had to close the door” on those companies, but they “found an open door to other politicians”, without giving any more details.
The minister later clarified that he was referring to undeclared meetings between politicians and lobbyists.
Budrys said later that during his meeting with the president last week, Anušauskas mentioned several individuals who might pose a corruption risk.
The STT has already questioned liberal MP Raimundas Lopata while investigating alleged corruption within the national defence system.
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