Decisions on passport manufacturer will be made after authorities present findings, PM says

Media recently reported that a Lithuanian company printing passports, Garsų pasaulis, may have connections to a Belarusian oligarch and a business linked to the Belarusian regime. Prime Minister of Lithuania Ingrida Šimonytė has stated that once authorities provide their findings, it will be decided whether the company may continue making documents, reports the news website 15min.lt.

The head of Government stresses that the passport manufacturer must not arouse any doubt over transparency or national security.

„If the company is deemed unreliable, then different production possibilities for personal documents will be sought,“ Šimonytė informed the news website in a written comment.

In May, an investigation by 15min.lt revealed that Garsų pasaulis might be connected to Belarusian oligarch Viktor Shevtsov, who is dubbed „the wallet“ of Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko, and to the Belarusian hologram monopoly Golograficheskaya Industriya.

Once this information emerged, the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT) and the State Security Department (VSD) launched probes. The Seimas Committee on National Security and Defence intends to examine the situation as well and may address both the Special Investigation Service (STT) and the VSD.

The Ministry of the Interior in turn does not rule out taking over production of personal identification documents by the state.