A civil servant in Lithuania’s defence system may have been offered a bribe, anti-corruption body says

Specialiųjų tyrimų tarnyba (STT), Lithuania’s anti-corruption body, has opened a pre-trial investigation after a defence-system employee reported being offered a bribe, the Ministry of National Defence said on Friday.

The alleged incident was reported internally in December 2025 through the ministry’s whistle-blower channel. The employee who received the offer informed authorities directly.

“High transparency standards are essential to maintain public trust in the defence system,” said Minister of National Defence Robertas Kaunas in a statement. “This case shows that our system passed the corruption-resistance test. The employee’s actions should serve as an example to others.”

Kaunas urged staff to report suspected corruption and praised the employee’s principled response. The ministry said it is working to build a corruption-resistant environment, with a focus on awareness-raising, education and training.

“The employee’s refusal to accept the alleged bribe and subsequent actions demonstrate personal intolerance of corruption and civic responsibility,” said Rimantas Raudeliūnas, head of the ministry’s Anti-Corruption and Investigations Division. “They also reflect the ongoing efforts to strengthen corruption prevention within the defence system.”

The ministry said it will not disclose further details to avoid prejudicing the pre-trial investigation.