“Engagement of internationals observers in the meetings of the Commission would prevent various speculations over the Commission’s alleged attempts to interfere with the content of the LRT programmes. International observers would likewise be invited to express their opinion on the openness and financial accountability of the public broadcaster and share their expertise and experience. Lithuania has to learn the best practices available, thus enabling it to establish and ensure a legal basis required for an independent and transparent domestic public broadcaster,” Mr Nekrošius says.
In addition to the invitation, the international organisations have also received a copy of the Seimas Resolution, which lays out the tasks for the investigation related to the economic and financial activities of the LRT.
Mr Nekrošius notes that the Commission has to enable the international organisations to stay as much informed as possible about the ongoing Seimas investigation and its aims.
The ad hoc commission conducting the parliamentary investigation into the management and financial and economic activities of the LRT was formed on 12 January 2018, following the failure by the LRT to submit the financial documents justifying the use of public funds. The Commission is assigned to assess whether the national broadcaster properly spends public funds and whether the effective legislation, which has not been revised for 15 years now, does not allow for non-transparent public procurements, corruptive environment and possibilities for the LRT to avoid going through public procurement procedures. The Commission is equally obligated to investigate and assess whether the prices of the services purchased by the LRT from producers and the prices of rent of the assets managed by the LRT are consistent with the market prices and determine whether the supervisory authorities and other public administration entities have identified any legal violations and/or other weaknesses with regards to the LRT. In the exercise of the powers conferred on it, the Commission has already addressed 14 public authorities with a request to submit the necessary documents and conduct an assessment of the public procurement procedures and a corruption risk analysis of the legal acts regulating the activities of the LRT.
