Off the wire
• Lula da Silva accepts to be presidential candidate despite prison sentence  • Hollywood actor criticizes U.S. gov't for pulling out of Paris climate agreement  • Lula da Silva accepts to be presidential candidate despite prison sentence  • Hollywood actor criticizes U.S. gov't for pulling out of Paris climate agreement  • Lula da Silva accepts to be presidential candidate despite prison sentence  • Hollywood actor criticizes U.S. gov't for pulling out of Paris climate agreement  • Lula da Silva accepts to be presidential candidate despite prison sentence  • Hollywood actor criticizes U.S. gov't for pulling out of Paris climate agreement  • Lula da Silva accepts to be presidential candidate despite prison sentence  • Hollywood actor criticizes U.S. gov't for pulling out of Paris climate agreement  
You are here: 　

Heads of Lithuanian major hospital detained amid large bribery probe

Xinhua,February 22, 2018 Adjust font size:

VILNIUS, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Heads of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos have been detained amid a large-scale bribery probe launched by the Baltic country's law-enforcement bodies, local news agency ELTA reported on Wednesday.

Lithuania's Special Investigation Service (STT) is investigating a suspected large-scale bribery at the hospital, related to public procurement contracts worth over two million euros (2.46 million U.S. dollars).

Kestutis Strupas, the hospital's director general, and Romualdas Kizlaitis, director of its informatics and development center, have been detained as part of the probe.

STT officials conducted searches on Wednesday at the hospital and certain privately-owned companies, as well as the suspects' homes.

The investigation was launched in the fall of 2017, reporters learned from Nerijus Puskorius, the chief prosecutor of Vilnius Regional Prosecutor's Office, which is heading the investigation.

"The STT has carried out dozens of searches and other legal processes at Santaros hospital, as well as in offices, cars, and homes of public servants," said Puskorius.

The law enforcement bodies suspect the hospital's officials demanded bribes from businesses in exchange for public procurement contacts worth over two million euros in 2017 alone.

Co-funded by the Lithuanian health ministry and Vilnius University, Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos is one of the major hospitals in Lithuania. (1 euro = 1.23 U.S. dollars) Enditem

 

Related News & Photos