Crime, Ecology, Industry, Legislation, Lithuania

"To this day, suspicions have been brought against four persons, including a legal person. We believe the number of suspects will definitely grow as there will be more of them," Klaipeda prosecutor Gina Skersinskyte told a press conference on Friday.

In her words, suspicions were brought against the company's former director, an operator and a person who was in charge of the waster treatment facility.

The prosecutor did not disclose the names, adding that the persons signed obligations not to leave a designated place as a measure of suppression. Moreover, part of Grigeo Klaipeda's assets has been arrested but the company can continue using it.

Prosecutors also say they have evidence that wastewater was released into the Curonian Lagoon via an illegal pipe. Executives of the Grigeo group say the emergency pipe in Dumpiai is legal but prosecutors say it's not.

"We are speaking about the installed mechanism in Dumpiai (the treatment installations some 12 km from Klaipeda). We are calling it an illegal pipe and they call it an emergency pipe," the prosecutor said.

Dalia Pociene, chief prosecutor at Klaipeda Regional Prosecutor's Office, said the investigation group has been expanded, with environmental protection and other specialists providing assistance to prosecutors.

Klaipeda prosecutor announced last week they had launched a pre-trial investigation into suspicions that Grigeo Klaipeda released untreated wastewater into the Curonian Lagoon. Prosecutors estimate that environmental damage could be valued at "dozens of millions" of euros.