Legislation, Lithuania, Security, Transport
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Saturday, 27.04.2024, 01:58
Lithuanian court upholds termination of border service's deal with Helisota
"The objective of public procurement is to purchase services that
would not only ensure direct functions of the State Border Guard Service,
namely, execution of the border regime control, but also the function assigned
to the country's Armed Forces - military defense of the state in case of war.
The objectives would not be achieved under the contract with the
claimant," reads the ruling.
A court of lower instance had ruled that Helisota, owned by Ziemelis'
aviation group Avia Solutions Group,
poses a threat to national security due to links with business and government
figures, while the contract with Helisota
would prevent from purchasing services necessary for border control and armed
defense, in case of war.
The State Border Guard Service had called the tender last September.
Another subsidiary of Avia Solutions
Group, aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services company FL Technics, has been barred from NATO
tenders. In November of 2015, a special governmental commission banned FL Technics from expanding at the
Vilnius airport.
Furthermore, the Siauliai administration in December of 2015 banned Avia Solutions Group from repairing
airplanes at the Siauliai Airport, which also hosts NATO fighter-jets. The
State Security Department has established Ziemelis' cooperation with
businessmen who are close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and are subject
to Western sanctions.