Lithuanian soldier claims dismissal was retaliation for reporting procurement irregularities
A Lithuanian soldier who reported alleged irregularities in public procurement says he lost his job as an act of retaliation, according to a report by Delfi cited by LRT.
Audrius Beinoras, a soldier with three decades of service in the Lithuanian Armed Forces, was released from his position as deputy director of the Military Conscription and Recruitment Service (KPKT) after his contract was not renewed. He claims this followed his complaints about potentially non-transparent procurement processes.
In 2004, Beinoras filed a report with the Ministry of National Defence’s Corruption Prevention and Investigation Division, alleging that the terms of a tender for the renewal of the website Karys.lt and an SMS messaging service may have been manipulated to favor specific suppliers—Freshmedia and Libonet. He stated that other companies were effectively barred from participating because the tender required the use of a closed-source system controlled by Freshmedia.
In September 2024, KPKT signed a contract worth €3,300 with Libonet for SMS services, followed by a €5,600 contract with Freshmedia in December for website maintenance. In February 2025, Beinoras escalated the matter to the Prosecutor General’s Office and was granted whistleblower status. However, the Special Investigation Service (STT) did not launch a pre-trial investigation, as the estimated financial damage did not exceed the €20,000 threshold for criminal liability.
The Ministry of National Defence confirmed to Delfi that Beinoras was the only one of seven officers whose contract was not extended. However, the ministry denied any connection to retaliation, stating that the decision was based on operational needs. A commission had recommended extending the service of six officers with unblemished reputations, the ministry noted, adding that the extension of military service is a privilege granted at the discretion of the defence minister or an authorised representative, considering the needs of the national defence system.