Prosecutor's Office Urges LRT to Correct Program Purchase Violations

Lithuania's Prosecutor's Office has urged the national public broadcaster LRT to correct identified violations concerning its program procurement practices. The office noted that LRT, in its report on program purchases made through non-public tenders for 2025, failed to disclose information about the individuals from whom services were acquired. Furthermore, LRT provided only a single, general explanation for why this information could not be made public.

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The resolution states that LRT, in its report on program purchases made through non-public tenders for 2025, did not disclose data on the individuals from whom services were purchased and provided only a general explanation for all purchases as to why this information cannot be made public.

The investigation revealed that LRT made a broad decision not to disclose the names and surnames of all individual suppliers in its publicly available reports. This decision was made without assessing each specific procurement case individually. The broadcaster did not consider the specific circumstances necessary to balance the transparency and publicity of purchases with the protection of suppliers' rights and legitimate interests.

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During the investigation, it was established that LRT made a general decision not to publicly disclose the names and surnames of all individuals-suppliers on its website in the publicly available reports (...) without assessing each specific case (purchase) and without establishing individual circumstances significant for ensuring a balance between the transparency and publicity of purchases and the protection of suppliers' rights and legitimate interests.

The prosecutor's office believes that a uniform exception for all suppliers is inappropriate. They emphasize that any exceptions under legal acts must be based on an evaluation of individual circumstances. To rectify the identified violation, LRT is required to conduct an individual assessment for each specific purchase, determine the relevant circumstances, and publish an updated report on its website.

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In the prosecutor's assessment, a uniform exception for all suppliers cannot be applied, as the exceptions provided for in legal acts must take into account individual circumstances.