Lithuania Public Procurement Service finds violations in military purchase

The Lithuanian Public Procurement Service (VPT) has identified three types of transparency violations regarding the Lithuanian military's purchase of mobile tetrahedrons, known as ‘dragon teeth’. The investigation, presented to the Seimas Audit Committee, concerns a contract valued at approximately 823,000 EUR (excluding VAT) awarded to the company Taiklu.

The violations involve technical specification compliance, the verification of unusually low prices, and transparency during the contract execution phase. Specifically, the VPT noted that the military lacked evidence during the procurement process that the products could withstand a force of 1,000 kilonewtons (kN). While subsequent laboratory testing confirmed the product's capability, the evidence was only provided by the supplier in October 2024, 110 days after the procurement procedure had concluded.

Additionally, the VPT found that the price offered by Taiklu was lower than the rates set by the manufacturer, Gelmesta. The service characterized the military's efforts to justify this unusually low price as merely formal and insufficient under legal requirements. As the contract has already been executed, the VPT is focusing on qualifying the violations and determining potential liability for the individuals involved.