Skvernel’s speech on rapid testing was truly stormy: his performance at the Seimas was accompanied by screams from the hall.

A question

A document registered by the opposition states that the FNTT investigation casts a shadow not only on the Vice Chancellor of the Government Lukas Savickas, who has the status of a special witness in the investigation, but also the entire Government.

“An investigation by the Financial Crimes Investigation Service (FNTT) into a potentially non-transparent acquisition of rapid coronavirus tests by the National Public Health Laboratory for € 6 million. EUR. Casts a shadow not only on the Deputy Foreign Minister under his leadership and the candidate of LVŽS to the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Lukas Savickas, but also above all the Government.

The Deputy Minister of Health has already resigned as a result of this scandal, and the Vice Chancellor has publicly ruled on the responsibility of the Minister of Health. The electoral campaign is coming to an end and it is likely that law enforcement agencies will not be able to complete the investigation and provide important responses to the public and voters, ”the opposition recorded in the document.

Therefore, the Prime Minister will have to answer a question: why was the planned purchase at Government House not suspended, despite the fact that it was purchased at a price 4 times higher than that of the Ministry of National Defense.

“Therefore, we want you to provide the answer, using article 208 of the Statute of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania. 13 p. please answer why you did not stop the planned, discussed and coordinated purchase of half a million rapid tests at Government House, when the Ministry of National Defense bought the same tests and a smaller quantity for 4 times less ”- the Prime Minister had to answer this question.

According to the LRT Research Division, the government paid about 12 euros for the tests, and KAM, which bought the same tests from another company, paid a little more than 3 euros for them.

Stormy language

Prime Minister S. Skvernel, who took the podium, told MPs that the recruitment was carried out in accordance with the law.

“In response to your question, I would like to point out that all the procedures related to obtaining rapid tests were carried out by the responsible authorities: the Ministry of Health and the National Public Health Laboratory, in strict compliance with the applicable laws. How can we end there? ”Said the Prime Minister.

And the speech continued.

“Before the elections, we are trying to politicize any investigation, no matter what kind of election it is,” he said.

At the same time urging to remember the so-called history of the golden spoons, which, according to the prime minister, harmed the Social Democratic government in 2016, but did not translate into clear decisions.

“Apparently we have a similar situation,” he said.

“The same principle must be followed: if the police have questions, they carry out an investigation. But during the elections, we are still trying to make it part of the electoral campaign,” said the head of government.

In the Seimas Chamber, the Prime Minister also criticized the LRT Investigation Division, which provided the initial information.

“I understand that nobody needs truth, justice before the elections, but the public broadcaster could have been a little more tired and provide more accurate information. (…) The “investigation” carried out by LRT erred, to put it mildly, calculating and providing information to the public, indicating incomplete test prices, signed contracts, suppliers, market prices, requirements imposed on suppliers, “he said.

S. Skvernelis emphasized that the investigation and comparison between the two purchases, at the beginning of the quarantine and that carried out by the Ministry of Health, were carried out at different times. According to the Prime Minister, there were also different requirements for delivery.

“There is no need to mention the fact that KAM bought many suppliers,” said the politician.

The Head of Government also hinted at material from the pre-trial investigation leaked back to the media.

“The next moment is the pretrial investigation material revealed during the investigation, its leak. We have a systemic problem, we have many cases of this type. (…)

Now about the myths that have been created in the public sphere, about corruption schemes.

I would like to mention that the FNTT conducts an investigation under article 4 of the CC: fraud, legalization of criminal assets, forgery or possession of a document and abuse. There is nothing here about investigations and corruption schemes, “emphasized the Prime Minister.

He said the companies would determine the potential earnings for FNTT.

Appointed in person

The politician then addressed the politician from Seimas Aušrinė Armonaitė, who also signed questions to the Prime Minister. Redas Laukys, a former member of the party under her leadership, is considered a suspect in this case and is currently being expelled from the party.

Thus, the Prime Minister said that efforts could be made to support the electoral campaign of the Freedom Party with the benefits obtained.

“Who could deny it,” he said. This “rhetorical question” was accompanied by the laughter of A. Armonaitė.

The Prime Minister then turned to another politician who had signed the issues: Dovilė Šakalienė, representative of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party.

“You can speak to Saulius Čaplinskas, a member of your roster, his expert opinions were very important, his contribution is very significant,” he said.

The LSDP representative, Rasa Budbergytė, also received the attention of the Head of Government.

“She asks for Lukas Savickas, her direct candidate as sole member. This young man cannot defend himself, he cannot speak of the alleged accusations, because he cannot reveal anything,” he emphasized.

Quoted Professor Landsberg

Prime Minister S. Skvernel said the opposition was using history for elections.

The opposition leader’s statements in the media confirmed that this story is electoral and promotional during the elections. I will quote, “G. “Landsbergis considered this story extremely unfavorable for the prime minister at this time, because the entire election campaign had to be based on a heroic victory.” Yes, it is a heroic victory, but not for the Prime Minister, but for the Lithuanian people, ”said the Prime Minister on the coronavirus pandemic.

The prime minister no longer leaked the accusations.

“Every heroic story, or none, can be squashed with the help of a ‘shit.’ This term is used by other famous politicians, “he said, referring to Professor Vytautas Landsbergis.

S. Skvernelis also quoted Professor Vytautas Landsbergis.

“When it comes to ideologies that are widely understood, it is worth remembering an ancient recipe and an eternal test. Mixing well one kilogram of butter and one kilogram of manure in a clay bowl, you get … two kilograms of manure! Hostile televisions only offer us this baby food. It offers it to everyone, it invests a lot ”, S. Skvernelis finished his speech.

The Prime Minister left no questions to other politicians, only wishing for a productive job, he spoke for 20 minutes in accordance with the Statute of the Seimas, to the extent indicated. The fact that time was running out was no longer accompanied by shouts from parliamentarians.

Questions the prime minister avoided

The conservative Agnė Bilotaitė, who was personally appointed in the Seimas Hall, said after the Prime Minister’s responses that there are no elections here.

“It’s not funny here, there are no elections, there is transparency here, because people care where their millions are,” A. Bilotaitė said excitedly.

Conservative Aistė Gedvilienė criticized the prime minister’s chosen language form.

Instead of being responsible for the prices of rapid tests, he attacked the women who called him to the rostrum. It is a pity, because it is relevant to the whole of society, but the Prime Minister was so angry that he saw no other reason to occupy all the time and not answer questions, “said the politician.

“What’s next? I don’t know, maybe we will try to ask the Prime Minister again, but this could only happen in writing, because we see that the Prime Minister is doing a show from the Seimas rostrum,” said the Seimas deputy.

Health Minister Aurelius Veryga said buying rapid tests is not a one-person decision.

“You may be thinking very simply: It is not the case that someone, like the Tsar, sits down and decides that we will buy both tests. There was a lot of discussion at the time, L. Savickas, like me, probably does not remember those details and chronology. But there were discussions with experts, there were public speeches, there was a general discussion in the world ”, said the Minister.

6 million contracts worth EUR

According to the SNB, the FNTT is conducting a pre-trial investigation on 6 million. purchase of rapid coronavirus tests worth EUR. In this case, the Vice Chancellor of the Government, L. Savickas, and the Advisor to the Prime Minister of Health, Jonas Kairys, were questioned as special witnesses.

A person may be questioned as a special witness if there is evidence in the record that a crime may have been committed and that the crime may have been committed by a particular person, but that information is not sufficient to give him or her suspect status.

The LRT Research Division has previously announced that L. Savickas, on the orders of Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis, has given a direct order to start purchasing rapid tests urgently in March.

The rapid tests were purchased from Profarma and manufactured by the Austrian company Ameda labordiagnostik GmbH.

Lina Mecelicienė, a representative for Pro Aris, the official distributor of Ameda’s Austrian products, has said that it offered the Ministry of Health on March 18 to buy rapid tests for three times less, but received no attention. She claimed that the company offered Lithuanian customers rapid tests for the same price: € 3 excluding VAT.

At that time, the National Public Health Laboratory bought the rapid tests supplied by Profarma at a price several times higher, an average of 12 euros per test. In addition, the purchase was made with special urgency, within two days after receipt of the offer, the signing of the contract and the transfer of the total amount of more than 6 million. quantity to suppliers.

In the FNTT investigation, the suspicions were presented to six people, including representatives of the company conducting the Profarma tests, the then Deputy Minister of Health Lina Jaruševičienė, a member of the Vilnius City Council, director of the company Bona Diagnosis Redas Laukys. She belongs to the Freedom Party and her membership has been suspended due to charges.

According to the study, it amounts to 6 million. The company allegedly falsified documents and provided the buyer with false information about the manufacturer of the rapid tests for the COVID-19 virus.