Lithuanian MOD conceals crimes in the army

Weapons, drugs, drunkenness, violence, thefts in the Lithuanian Armed Forces are the results of the work of the Minister National Defence of Lithuania.

Since the appointment of Arvydas Anušauskas as Minister of National Defence (December 2020), the statistics of crimes committed by the servicemen of the Lithuanian Army has been increasing.

According to the Lithuanian police, during the summer period alone, several criminal incidents involving servicemen of the Lithuanian Armed Forces occurred.

So, on June 6, a drunk soldier of the Lithuanian Air Force beat a man in Šiauliai region.

On June 15, a drunk Lithuanian soldier (1.52 ppm) abused a woman in Šiauliai region.

On June 26, a drunk soldier (1.63 ppm) of the Lithuanian army abused a woman in Panevėžys.

On July 3, a drunk (2.12 ppm) Lithuanian soldier was detained in Klaipėda. A 5.6 mm „CTPAŽ“ gas revolver and a metal telescopic stick were found in his backpack.

On July 4, a soldier of the Lithuanian Armed Forces was detained in Šiauliai. In the car he was driving, a foil sheet with a plant-derived substance (presumably a narcotic substance) was found.

On July 16, in Rukla (Jonava region), a soldier of the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union was found dead. The police are investigating the circumstances of the incident.

A pre-trial investigations have been started on all incidents. Some servicemen of the Lithuanian Armed Forces will face real terms of imprisonment.

Unfortunately, some high-profile incidents involving military personnel in Lithuania are hidden from the public.

So, in spring of 2020, Lithuanian soldiers stole more than 14,000 tons of dry food rations at the training ground of the Lithuanian Armed Forces (in the Švenčionis region). Food rations were intended for soldiers of the battalion of the U.S. Army stationed in Lithuania. Property damage amounted to more than 121,000 €.

The Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania provides for punishment of up to eight years’ imprisonment for anyone who stole valuable foreign property while participating in an organized group.

The dynamics of the polls shows that public trust in the military has been constantly rising throughout the last decade.

At the same time, there were widespread public disillusionment and negative attitudes towards the Armed Forces generated by some criminal offences and financial machinations committed by the Lithuanian military or defence officials.

Apparently, Minister National Defence of Lithuania Arvydas Anušauskas is not able to solve this problem.

https://balticword.com/lithuanian-mod-conceals-crimes-in-the-army/