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The Attorney General’s Office aims to order companies to pay more than 4 million. for rapid COVID-19 tests.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the contract was awarded for overpayments for undisclosed negotiations, so the objective is to recover the part of the contract value that prosecutors consider unreasonable.
According to the prosecution, on Thursday, prosecutors from the Public Interest Protection Division filed a lawsuit with the Vilnius Regional Court for the annulment and invalidation of the concluded transactions related to the acquisition of COVID-19 EXPRESS and to grant the state more of 4,142,600 euros to companies.
According to the prosecution, the pre-trial investigation for possible fraud, money laundering, misuse, falsification of documents or possession of a falsified document in connection with the acquisition of rapid COVID-19 tests revealed data on possible harm to the public interest.
According to law enforcement data, the sales contract was concluded after the public procurement was carried out through unannounced negotiations and was concluded in violation of the principle of transparency enshrined in the Public Procurement Law.
It was established that the norm established in the Public Procurement Law that funds destined to the purchase of goods, services or works must be used in a rational manner was also violated during the contracting and execution of the contract.
According to the authorities, the National Public Health Laboratory and the company signed a contract for 510 thousand. evidence, the value of this contract, VAT included, is 6 million. euros.
“Without evaluating the other offers submitted, without looking for a supplier that could provide rapid tests at a competitive price, accepting the offer of the company, the concluded contract may have paid significantly more than the market rates,” the prosecution said.
Estimating that the evidence was purchased roughly twice its actual value, prosecutors are asking the court to order the companies to pay more than $ 4 million. euros.
The pre-trial investigation into the purchase of the COVID-19 rapid tests is ongoing and the anticipated procedural steps are being taken. Currently, six people are under suspicion.
The investigation is carried out by officials of the Special Tasks Board of the Financial Crimes Investigation Service, and is organized and controlled by prosecutors from the Organized Crime and Corruption Investigation Department of the Attorney General’s Office and the Third Division of the Attorney General’s Office. the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, no more detailed information is currently provided so as not to jeopardize the ongoing pre-trial investigation.
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