"The suspicions against the political party as a legal entity were brought by the SIS officers in the framework of the investigation opened in the end of 2014 into selling influence. The investigation generated sufficient data to suspect that criminal deeds were committed with the goal of unlawful gain for the party," the Special Investigation Service said on Wednesday.
According to the press release, no coercion measures will be taken to restrict the party's operations as a legal entity.
Under the suspicions, the party took about 377,000 euros in bribes in exchange for promises and agreements on influence in a number of instances of public procurement.
A legal entity may be imposed a fine, have its operations restricted or liquidated.
The investigation was opened on a suspicion that private companies covered a part of the costs (nearly 43,000 euros) of the charitable campaign supported by the Order and Justice party. According to the press release, this was aimed at making the Interior Ministry's officials influenced by the party to act for the benefit of companies concerned in public procurement.
Prosecutors say they have collected evidence to prove that MP Rimas Antanas Rucys took a bribe of hundreds of thousands of euros from producer Rolandas Skaisgirys and pledged to influence public servants. According to data available to prosecutors, the MP together with other members of the Order and Justice party, Algimantas Juocevicius and Ervinas Raistenskis, took a bribe from Skaisgirys in October of 2013. Each member of the trio had specific roles.
Prosecutors have evidence that the party influenced the ministry's officials for an unspecified bribe of at least 9,500 euros to ignore other participants of public procurement tenders and unlawfully protect institutions represented by Skaisgirys. In return, the producer was to organize the charitable campaign, which the law-enforcement believes was aimed at promoting the Order and Justice party and its leader MEP Rolandas Paksas.
The investigation revealed other possible major criminal deeds. Twelve persons, including seven public servants, were interviewed as suspects in different episodes of the deeds.
The suspects plead not guilty. Members of the Order and Justice party maintain the case is political.
The investigation continues. Due to the complexity and scale of the probe, it is controlled and headed by the Organized Crime and Corruption Division of the Prosecutor General's Office.
This is the second case when suspicions are brought against a party as a legal entity. In 2006, the Labor Party was charged for bookkeeping fraud.
