Lithuanian parlt panel to ask anti-corruption body to look at LRT program procurement

  • 2018-04-12
  • LETA/TBT Staff

VILNIUS - The Lithuanian parliament's investigative commission on the activities of Lithuanian Radio and Television (LRT) will ask the Special Investigation Service, or STT, to assess the transparency of the public broadcaster's program procurement, the panel's chairman said on Wednesday. 

Arvydas Nekrosius spoke to reporters after STT officials had informed the commission about LRT's public procurement procedures and related problems.

Program procurement at the public broadcaster is governed by a separate government resolution adopted in 2003, rather than by the Law on Public Procurement.

"(The commission will turn to STT) over program purchases," the chairman told reporters after the panel's meeting, which was held behind closed doors.

He added that the commission would turn to the anti-corruption agency later in the day.

According to the lawmaker, the anti-corruption agency's officials told the commission that the public broadcaster's procurement practices had not been monitored by any supervisory authority for years.

Nekrosius described the situation as "mild chaos".

He said that the Culture Ministry had already drafted legislation to improve the situation, but gave no details. 

The Seimas established the investigative commission in late December.