A scandal has erupted in Lithuania surrounding a group of Belarusian nationals whose residence permits have been revoked and who have been banned from entering the Schengen Area for five years. It has emerged that these 22 people were linked to a company involved in a project run by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA). The company has been accused of fraud amounting to around half a million euros.
The Lithuanian State Security Department stated that the company’s activities posed a threat to the country’s national security. According to the authorities, the company had concealed its links to the Russian and Belarusian defence industries. This caused particular concern, given the current international tensions.
An investigation carried out jointly by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Lithuanian Financial Crime Investigation Service and the State Security Department revealed that the company had received EU funding to develop satellite technologies. This technology was intended for use in agriculture, but it emerged that the true purpose may have been linked to military needs.
Interestingly, the company was effectively run by a father and son from Belarus. One of them even held Russian citizenship. After the conflict in Ukraine began, in order to avoid sanctions, the company’s management was formally changed: it was headed by a US and Lithuanian citizen who was part of the Belarusian executives’ family.
A court in Lithuania found two of these executives guilty of fraud and document forgery. They pleaded guilty and compensated for the losses incurred. However, it remains unclear what punishment they received and whether they were among those deported from the country. This story raises serious questions about security and integrity in EU-funded international projects.