The investigation was organized by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and carried out by the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT), in cooperation with the State Security Department (VSD).
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During the international law enforcement and intelligence agencies’ investigation, officers found that Belarusian citizens, together with their company controlled in Lithuania, were involved in a project of the European Union Space Programme Agency (EUSPA) and fraudulently obtained nearly 0.5 million euros. The EUSPA project was aimed at developing high-precision satellite navigation devices for the agricultural sector.
During the pre-trial investigation, officers established that the company based in Lithuania received EU funding to develop professional satellite navigation receivers capable of using the “Galileo” high-accuracy service (HAS) for agricultural purposes, including the management of agricultural machinery and support for precision farming operations. The total budget allocated for the project was 1,064,933.81 euros. The budget portion of 745,453.67 euros was financed by EUSPA, of which 447,272 euros were actually paid to the company.
To obtain EU funding, the company submitted an EUSPA declaration of honor stating that no EU restrictive measures applied to it and that it had no connections with sanctioned entities. The Vilnius District Court found that by falsely declaring that the business seeking EU funding had no ties to sanctioned companies, the accused could obtain EU funding and access to the EU market and spatial geographic data.
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During the investigation, codenamed “Precision,” strong links were identified between the accused individuals and the Russian and Belarusian military industries, which are subject to EU sanctions. It was found that after the start of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the beneficiaries of the company initiated management changes. To circumvent EU restrictions applied to Belarusian citizens, in April 2022, a person holding US and Lithuanian citizenship—a family member of the accused Belarusians—was appointed to lead the company.
However, the company based in Lithuania continued to be effectively controlled by both Belarusian citizens. They held managerial positions in a company based in Russia that develops and tests satellite navigation chips for military purposes and is subject to EU sanctions. One of the accused even acquired Russian citizenship for personal purposes in 2020–2021.
The accused admitted their guilt and compensated for the damage caused, amounting to 447,272 euros. They were convicted of fraudulently obtaining EU funds committed jointly with others, and of forgery and use of forged documents.
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