Lithuanian prosecutors have charged two soldiers and five civilians in an alleged bribery scheme that allowed conscripts to avoid mandatory military service, the General Prosecutor’s Office said Tuesday.
The investigation, launched earlier this year, began after personnel at the Lithuanian Armed Forces’ Military Conscription and Recruitment Centre under the Šiauliai Regional Military Command reported suspected corruption related to compulsory initial military service.
According to prosecutors, evidence suggests that a soldier responsible for administering conscripts allegedly accepted bribes in exchange for ensuring that young men listed for mandatory service in the Šiauliai region were not called up, allowing them to avoid military service.
The soldier has been charged with bribery and trading in influence.
A second soldier serving in another unit and five civilians are suspected of trading in influence after allegedly using their connections with the primary suspect to facilitate the scheme.
