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Closing Conference of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” in Druskininkai

2024, April 22

Today (April 22, 2024) the two-day final and closing conference of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” began in Druskininkai. More than 170 representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office, courts, pre-trial investigation authorities, project partners from Norway, guests from Polish and Latvian prosecutor’s offices attend the conference.

“The project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” is the largest project implemented by the Prosecutor’s Office to date. Its importance is justified by the diversity of activities and their scale. The aim to increase the efficiency of prosecution, improve the administrative and communication capacities of the Prosecutor’s Office and improve the working environment is only part of the project’s tasks. I would like to emphasise that a modern Prosecutor’s Office can only be effective if it is accessible, visible and reliable. We hope that the openness of the Prosecutor’s Office will increase public confidence in the Prosecutor’s Office and the effectiveness of prosecution, which in turn will increase intolerance to any criminal activity,” Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė said in a welcome speech to the participants of the conference.

She thanked the team that has been implementing the project for four years, the project partner, the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (ØKOKRIM), the Central Project Management Agency administering the project and all staff of the Prosecutor’s Office for their involvement in the project activities.

During the conference, Deputy Prosecutor General Saulius Verseckas and Chief Prosecutor of the Criminal Prosecution Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office Rimvydas Valentukevičius gave an overview of the tasks implemented during the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania”, and the project partners from ØKOKRIM shared their experience and insights while working with colleagues in Lithuania.

During the conference participants were introduced to the activities implemented in the project such as analysis of the existing regulation of criminal proceedings; assessment of the quality of the procedural activities of the Prosecution Service; assessment of the effectiveness of the prosecution of economic and financial offences.

The event also presented the algorithm for investigation of the most common criminal offences and “Methodical Guide on the Algorithm of Pre-trial Investigation Actions and its Application”. The speaker made an overview of the methodology for assessing the workload of prosecutors and Prosecutor’s Office on the whole, as well as the directions of improvement of the specialisation of prosecutors.

The project also focused on strengthening the communication capacities of people working in the Prosecutor’s Office. The closing conference will discuss what journalists expect from prosecutors, what has been learned and what needs to be improved in order to become an organisation open to the public.

During the implementation of the project, methodological publications were also prepared to help the Prosecutor’s Office to communicate with persons applying to the institution (“Visitor Service Standard”) and representatives of the media (“Communications Manual for Prosecutor’s Office”).
The event will also look at future perspectives: Judge of the Constitutional Court, Prof. Dr. Aurelijus Gutauskas will discuss the modern legal system and the perception of the administration of justice in the age of artificial intelligence. The participants of the conference will be introduced to the importance of the Integrated Criminal Procedure Information System (IBPS) in the creation of a modern Prosecutor’s Office, the use of 3D technology to record the crime scene.

In order to achieve the objectives of the project, i.e. to become a modern institution open to the public, training was organised for the staff of the Prosecutor’s Office, strengthening staff’s working competences, general competences and communication skills.

According to Petter Nordeng, the project partner, Head of Legal Department at the ØKOKRIM, there was a constructive cooperation with the Prosecutor’s Office in the implementation of the project activities, activities were implemented and study visits to exchange good practices were carried out.

The project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” is funded by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism. The duration of the project is 4 years (June 2020 – April 2024) with a budget of over EUR 2.2 million.

Progress of the Project Discussed at the Interim Video Conference

2023, December 20

On 20 December this year, the Prosecutor General’s Office organised a video conference within the framework of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” to present the progress of the project implementation. 130 representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office, courts and pre-trial investigation institutions participated in the video conference.

In a welcome speech for the participants of the conference, Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė thanked everyone for their involvement in the activities of the project, obvious improvement of professional competencies and general skills of the Prosecutor’s Office staff and the accomplished tasks.

Deputy Prosecutor General Saulius Verseckas gave a brief overview of the financial mechanisms of the European Economic Area and Norway and the activities of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” funded by these mechanisms.

During the conference, participants were introduced to the activities implemented in the project and currently being carried out namely, analysis of the existing regulation of criminal procedure; assessment of the quality of the procedural activities of the Prosecutor’s Office; assessment of the effectiveness of the prosecution of economic and financial crimes.

The participants of the video conference were presented with the algorithm for investigation of the most common criminal offences prepared by the members of the working group approved by the order of the Prosecutor General and the “Methodical Guide on the Algorithm of Pre-trial Investigation Actions and its Application”.

During the conference, the preparation of the methodology for assessing the workload of prosecutors and Prosecutor’s Office was reviewed, and the directions of improvement of prosecutors’ specialisation were discussed.

During the implementation of the project, methodological publications were also prepared to help the Prosecutor’s Office to communicate with persons applying to the institution (“Visitor Service Standard”) and representatives of the media (“Communications Manual for Prosecutor’s Office”).
In order to achieve the objectives of the project, i.e. to become a modern institution open to the public, a series of training sessions were organised for the staff of the Prosecutor’s Office to strengthen staff’s working competences, general competences and communication skills.

The project also focuses on improving working conditions: the staff were equipped with laptops that allowed to work remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic, equipment for video conference meetings and conferences was installed in Prosecutor’s Offices, Information System of Prosecutor’s Office Administration (PAIS) was installed and other work was carried out.

According to Petter Nordeng, the project partner, head of Legal Department of the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (ØKOKRIM), the implementation of the project’s activities is encouraging the constructive cooperation with the Prosecutor’s Office, and the activities implemented as well as the study visits for the exchange of good practice have produced good results.
The project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” is funded by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism.

Communication Specialists Gained Experience in Norway

2023, December 19

On 11-15 December this year Lithuanian communication specialists had a study visit in Oslo were they discussed about how law enforcement agencies should earn the public trust, how the information to be disclosed to the public should be selected. They also learned about the preventive programmes carried out by the Norwegian police, their social campaigns and the efforts to inform teenagers through the TikTok application, and discussed many other topics.

The study visit was organised by the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (ØKOKRIM) and was attended by Gintarė Vitkauskaitė-Šatkauskienė, Gabrielė Petkuvienė and Viktorija Jonuitė, Chief Specialists of the Communication Division of the Prosecutor General’s Office.

During the visit, communication specialists were introduced to the activities of ØKOKRIM, their communication strategy and priorities.

The Norwegian Public Prosecutor’s Office’s communication adviser presented the national legislation which must be observed by law enforcement agencies when providing information to the public; it was emphasized that prosecutors in charge of investigations have an obligation to comment to the media on high-profile cases.

A communication adviser at the Norwegian National Criminal Investigation Service (Kripos) shared experience in implementing social campaigns aimed at building trust in the police and preventing crime.

An innovative way to reach teenagers and young people was used by police officers of the Western District of Norway. Realising that teenagers and young people under the age of 20 rarely watch TV or read information portals, and spend most of their time on social media, police officers have created an account on TikTok.

A different way of informing the public about its activities was chosen by the Norwegian Police Security Service. As the information the Service handles is secret, officials of the Service are often interviewed by journalists as experts in the security issues. In order to make officials feel safe and courageous when communicating with the media, the communications advisers of the Service began to create podcasts to discuss a certain topic.

Representatives of almost all institutions stressed that while public confidence in law enforcement agencies remains high in Norway, it also needs to be earned by providing clear, unified and useful information for the public.

One of the project activities is the exchange of good practice by means of study visits on the topics of efficiency, quality of criminal proceedings and cooperation therein.

Methodical Guide on the Algorithm of Pre-trial Investigation Actions and its Application has Been Prepared

2023, November 07

The most common criminal offences in Lithuania leading to the initiation of pre-trial investigations should be investigated faster and more efficiently. To achieve this goal, within the scope of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania”, the parties to the project prepared the Methodical Guide on the Algorithm of Pre-trial Investigation Actions and its Application.

The members of the working group approved by the Prosecutor General’s order conducted a study and identified the criminal offences most frequently prosecuted in the last four years. The working group identified and selected six criminal offences provided for in the Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter also the Criminal Code):
– Article 140 Paragraph 2 (inducing physical pain and minor impairment of health with the characteristic ‘domestic violence’),
– Article 178 Paragraph 2 (theft (from premises)),
– Article 187 Paragraph 1 (destruction of or damage to property),
– Article 213 Paragraph 1 (production, storage or handling of counterfeit currency),
– Article 259 Paragraphs 1 and 2 (unlawful possession of narcotic or psychotropic substances for the purpose other than distribution),
– Article 2811 Paragraph 1 (driving of vehicles when driven by an intoxicated person) in conjunction with Paragraph 7 of Article 281 (violation of regulations governing road traffic safety or operation of vehicles).

These criminal offences were selected considering the fact that they are the subject of the most pre-trial investigations. There are no approved recommendations of the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Lithuania regarding them, and in most cases, pre-trial investigations into these criminal offences are completed through a more cost-effective process.

In the preparation of the Methodical Guide on the Algorithm of Pre-trial Investigation Actions and its Application, an analysis of the case-law on the above six criminal offences was carried out. It assessed the efficiency of the proceedings activities undertaken by the prosecutor and analysed the errors and shortcomings made in the course of the proceedings, which led to the acquittal of the accused persons or the return of the case to the prosecutor. There was also an overview of the case-law in this type of cases, assessing the reasons and motives of the courts in passing the decisions that led to the imposition of punishments and imposition (or non imposition) of penal sanctions.

For each of the six selected criminal offences, the Methodical Guide on the Algorithm of Pre-trial Investigation Actions and its Application describes the following issues:
• the necessary pre-trial investigation actions to be carried out and the peculiarities thereof;
• collection and prioritisation of essential pre-trial investigation data;
• aspects of the qualification/re-qualification a criminal offence;
• the use of simplified forms of criminal proceedings;
• ensuring the rights of parties to the pre-trial investigation proceedings;
• the most common errors and problem areas of pre-trial investigation and public prosecution.

The Methodical Guide concentrates only on controlling activities of prosecutors, not including the initial pre-trial investigation actions that must be carried out by pre-trial investigation officers, and the algorithms developed for the investigation of criminal offences start from the moment when the prosecutor receives a report of a committed criminal oofence to the IBPS until the final decision of the proceedings is taken at the end of the pre-trial investigation. The Methodical Guide contains two options of algorithms for each criminal offence, depending on the position of the suspect, i.e. whether he admits or does not admit to having committed the alleged criminal offemce. For each criminal offence, visualisation of the decision tree is provided, which will help the prosecutor understand the sequence of the pre-trial investigation actions and possible procedural decisions.
The project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” is funded by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism.

Study Visit Focuses on Strengthening the Effectiveness of Prosecutions

2023, November 03

On 23-27 October 2023, five representatives of the Lithuanian Prosecutor’s Office visited Oslo.

This is the third study visit to the capital of the Kingdom of Norway organised as part of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania”. The main topic of the visit is strengthening the effectiveness of prosecution, sharing of good practices.

Regimantas Žukauskas, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Criminal Prosecution Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office, Vaida Rocevičė, Assistant to Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor General’s Office, Marijus Šalčius, Chief Prosecutor of the Public Interest Protection Division of Kaunas Regional Prosecutor’s Office, and Inga Gulbickienė and Tomas Songaila, prosecutors at Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office, visited the headquarters of the project partner, Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (ØKOKRIM). They also met with the director and heads of divisions of the ØKOKRIM, and found out about the priority activities undertaken by the Norwegian Prosecutor’s Office.

During the study visit, the Norwegian colleagues shared their experience in the field of anti-fraud in order to detect cybercrime and track the movement of payments in cryptocurrencies. The meetings also focused on investigating environmental crime and preventing them in cooperation with stakeholders.

One of the project activities is the exchange of good practice by means of study visits on the topics of efficiency, quality of criminal proceedings and cross-border cooperation therein.

Prosecutors from Norway Visited Klaipėda Regional Prosecutor’s Office

2023, October 03

On 25-28 September this year, the head of the Law Department of the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (ØKOKRIM), Petter Nordeng, senior prosecutor Lars Stoltenberg, prosecutor Elisabeth Frankrig and police prosecutor Maja Salhus Røed visited Klaipėda. During this four-day working visit organised as part of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania”, the project partners were introduced to the structure and main areas of activity of the Prosecutor’s Office.

On Tuesday (September 26th) guests from the

Kingdom of Norway visited Klaipėda Regional Prosecutor’s Office. Here they were first introduced to the structure and activity priorities of the Prosecutor’s Office of Klaipėda. Later, the project partners listened to the presentations on the topics of extended confiscation of property and civil confiscation of property and their application in practice. Foreign colleagues were also introduced to the criminal liability for illicit enrichment and listened to the presentation on asset tracing and asset recovery through international cooperation instruments.

During the visit to Lithuania, representatives of ØKOKRIM also met with Deputy Prosecutor General Saulius Verseckas and his project coordination group from the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania. During the meeting, the progress of the project was discussed, the issues raised during its implementation were discussed, further project activities were planned.

Norwegian prosecutors also visited the Financial Crime Investigation Service in Klaipėda, met with representatives of the Customs Criminal Service, where they discussed topical issues and shared their working experience.

The project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” is funded by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism and is supported by the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (ØKOKRIM). One of the project activities is the exchange of good practice by means of study visits on the topics of efficiency, quality of criminal proceedings and cross-border cooperation related thereto.

“Communication Manual for Prosecutor’s Office” and the Guide on the Main Principles of Communication have been Prepared

2023, August 02

During the implementation of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania”, a digital methodological publication “Communication Manual for Prosecutor’s Office” and the Guide on the Main Principles of Communication were published; these publications are intended to be used by the staff of the Prosecutor’s Office. The QR code in the publications open a link to the publication of 30 pages with detailed information, “Communication Manual for Prosecutor’s Office”.

These publications are intended for prosecutors, civil servants and contractual employees of the Prosecutor’s Office, increasing awareness of the importance of communication to the institution, presenting examples of how to communicate with the media, what principles are to be followed when attending press conferences, how to behave on social media, etc. 1 200 copies of Guides have been printed.

It is expected that these methodological publications will encourage prosecutors to communicate more actively about the decisions taken, communicate with the media more self-confidence and determination and to improve the image of the Prosecutor’s Office.

During the implementation of the project, 2 000 notebooks were also published for the staff of Prosecutor’s Office and for the promotional use. The notebooks provide brief information in Lithuanian and English on the mission and activities of the Prosecutor’s Office, the profession and main functions of the prosecutor, and the main principles of criminal procedure and defence of the public interest.

Communication Manual for Prosecutor’s Office, the Guide on the Main Principles of Communication of Prosecutor’s Office and notebooks were designed and published by UAB Igmovila, which won the public procurement.

The implementation of the project is financed by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism for 2020-2024.

Prosecutor’s Office Administrative Information System (PAIS) Introduced

2023, June 08

The Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania has introduced a new information system for administration of the Prosecutor’s Office (PAIS).

The information system has been designed according to the needs of the Prosecutor’s Office and helps to manage documents, other resources and information within the Prosecutor’s Office. The PAIS was designed and installed within the scope of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” which is funded by the European Area Financial Mechanism.

The newly installed Administrative Information System of the Prosecutor’s Office can be used by 600 employees at the same time, it is possible to register documents received and sent by the Prosecutor’s Office in a more convenient and expeditious way, the users can allocate tasks, prepare reports, manage the available resources, coordinate and approve training plans, etc.

The Prosecutor’s Office staff have been trained to work with the new IT system, the training material has also been uploaded on the Prosecutor’s Office Intranet.

The Administrative Information System of the Prosecutor’s Office was developed and implemented by UAB Asseco Lietuva which won the public procurement, on the basis of the contract signed with the Prosecutor General’s Office on 4 February 2022.

Norwegian Experts Share Knowledge on Asset Recovery and Corruption Investigation in Cases of Foreign Bribery

2023, May 12

This week (May 9-12) in Vilnius, experts from Norway held special training for prosecutors and officers of pre-trial investigation institutions. About 60 representatives of the Prosecution Service, Financial Crime Investigation Service and Special Investigation Service participated in the training; they extended their knowledge on asset recovery and investigation of corruption in foreign bribery cases. Training was organised in the implementation of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania”, funded by the financial mechanisms of the European Economic Area.

Experts from the project partner, the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (ØKOKRIM), Geir Kavlie, Åsne Hana Torgersen and Jørn Jensen gave an overview of the assessment of asset recovery in Norway and Lithuania, highlighting the main factors of successful asset recovery. Norwegian officials shared their experience in the field of asset recovery when the assets are registered in the name of others, also experience in confiscation of cryptocurrencies.

When making presentations on corruption investigations in cases of foreign bribery, experts Lars Stoltenberg, Marianne Djupesland, Sissel Gørrissen and Vidar Larsen highlighted the importance of international cooperation in investigation of crimes of this kind, and presented a detailed analysis of the foreign bribery cases under investigation by ØKOKRIM. Lecturers from Norway and Lithuanian prosecutors discussed the challenges related to foreign bribery cases and sought solutions to them.

The training organised under the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” is aimed at strengthening the competences of prosecutors, judges and pre-trial investigation officers.

Agreement on the preparation and publication of the “Communication Guide for the Prosecutor’s Office”

2023, January 22

In December 2022, the Prosecutor General’s Office and UAB Igmovila, which won a public procurement contract, signed a contract for the procurement of services related to preparation and publishing of publications. This procurement is carried out in the framework of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” funded by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism for the years 2020-2024.

As part of the implementation of the contract, a digital methodological publication “Communication Guide for the Prosecutor’s Office” in size of 35-40 pages will be prepared as well as booklets about the basic principles of communication for the staff of the Prosecutor’s Office will be published. The booklets will include a QR code with the link to the digital methodological publication “Communication Guide for the Prosecutor’s Office”. These publications are intended for public prosecutors’ staff namely, prosecutors, civil servants and employees under an employment contract and aim to provide knowledge about the importance of communication to the institution, to provide examples of how to communicate with the media, how to respond to uncomfortable questions from journalists, what principles should be followed when attending press conferences, how to behave on social networks, etc. According to the plan, 1,200 copies of booklets will be published.

These methodological publications are expected to encourage prosecutors to communicate their decisions more actively, to communicate more bravely with the media and to improve the image of the Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the contract, 2,000 notebooks will be issued for the staff of Prosecutor’s Office and for representation purposes. The notebooks will contain brief information in Lithuanian and English about the mission and activities of the Prosecutor’s Office, the profession and main functions of the prosecutor, the basic principles of criminal proceedings and the protection of the public interest.

The contract will be implemented within 5 months.

Norwegian Prosecutors Share Experience in Kaunas Regional Prosecutor’s Office

2023, January 17

This week, Petter Nordeng, Head of the Legal Department of the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (ØKOKRIM), Senior Prosecutor Elisabeth Harbo-Levik and Senior Prosecutor Geir Kavlie from ØKOKRIM are visiting Kaunas Regional Prosecutor’s Office on a four-day work visit. This visit is organised in the framework of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania”.

During the visit, the project partners were introduced to the structure and operational priorities of Kaunas Regional Prosecutor’s Office. During the meetings with the heads of the Regional Prosecutor’s Office and prosecutors, the participants shared the good practice in leading complex, large-scale pre-trial investigations of economic and financial crimes, and discussed the challenges faced by prosecutors of both countries in investigation of cybercrimes.

During their visit to Kaunas, Norwegian prosecutors together with Deputy Prosecutor General S. Verseckas, Chief Prosecutor of the Criminal Prosecution Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office, R. Valentukevičius and other representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office discussed the activities implemented during the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania”, the planned trainings, planned visits and other relevant issues.

ØKOKRIM representatives will also visit Kaunas County Police Headquarters during the visit.

One of the project activities is study visits for exchanging the good practice in relation to the effectiveness, quality and cross-border cooperation of criminal proceedings. In October 2022, five representatives of the Lithuanian Prosecutor’s Office visited the Norwegian capital Oslo.

Norwegian Officials Share Good Practice in Investigating Lengthy and Complex Cases

2022, October 18

This week, five representatives of the Lithuanian Prosecutor’s Office are visiting Oslo. The study visit to the capital of the Kingdom of Norway on 17-21 October was organised in the framework of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” funded by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism.

The first five-day study visit under the project included Saulius Verseckas, Deputy Prosecutor General, Rimantas Valentukevičius, Chief Prosecutor of the Criminal Prosecution Department, Liutauras Rudzevičius, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office, Rimas Bradūnas, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Kaunas Regional Prosecutor’s Office, and Rūta Kavaliauskienė, Assistant to Chief Prosecutor of the Criminal Prosecution Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office.

The main topic of this visit is long and complex cases. Project partners, representatives of Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (ØKOKRIM) will share their experience and good practices in investigating long-lasting criminal cases and cases requiring specific knowledge. The meetings will also discuss the investigation of environmental crimes and crimes related to cryptocurrencies. Representatives of the Lithuanian Prosecutor’s Office will meet with the heads of ØKOKRIM, and will also visit the Supreme Court of Norway.

During the visit, other project issues will be discussed, such as the date and agenda of the next visit to Lithuania, the calendar of project activities will be updated, specialised training courses to be presented by the Norwegian partners will be planned and scheduled.

Study visits aimed at exchanging the good practice and on the issues of effectiveness, quality of criminal proceedings and cross-border cooperation are part of the project activities.

Promotional Items Will be Dedicated to Publicising the Ongoing Project

2022, October 12

The Prosecutor General’s Office has already received the promotional goods for publicising the project: 250 umbrellas, 150 drinking bottles and 150 thermal insulated bottles with logos of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania and the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism. The purchase of promotional products was carried out in the framework of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania”, funded by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism for 2020-2024. The public procurement was won by UAB Morning LT.

These promotional items will be used as gifts for guests visiting the Prosecutor’s Office, souvenirs to be presented during work trips abroad, or as prizes for participation in events for the public, or students participating in the mentoring programmes, and representatives of other institutions.

Customer Service in the Prosecutor’s Office is to be Improved

2022, October 12

In order to increase the efficiency of its activities and strengthen the public trust in it, the Prosecutor’s Office is implementing the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania”, funded by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism.

With the view to improve the experience of persons applying to the Prosecutor’s Office, the Prosecutor General’s Office has concluded an agreement with UAB Žmogaus studijų centras on the creation and implementation of a standard of customer service.

The standard of customer service is designed to ensure uniform and high-quality service provided to everybody applying to any department of the Prosecutor’s Office and to meet their expectations and needs when using the services of the Prosecutor’s Office. After the analysis of the current customer service situation, it will be necessary to evaluate internal legislation and to develop a modern standard of customer care. On the basis of such standard, the staff who is in direct contact with visitors, i.e. document management specialists, assistants to prosecutors, lawyers and prosecutors providing consultations, will undergo a specialised training.

Contract Signed for the Purchase of Promotional Products

2022, July 22

In July 2022 Prosecutor General’s Office and UAB Morning LT which has won a public procurement, signed a contract for the purchase of promotional products. This procurement is carried out in the context of the implementation of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” funded by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism for 2020-2024.

Acccording to the contract, 250 umbrellas, 150 water bottles and 150 thermal insulated bottles bearing the logos of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania and the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism will be purchased. These promotional items will be used as gifts for guests visiting the Prosecutor’s Office, souvenirs to be presented during work trips abroad, or as prizes for participation in events for the public, or students participating in the mentoring programmes, and representatives of other institutions.
The contract is scheduled to be implemented within 5 months.

Contract Signed for the Purchase of Promotional Products

2022, July 21

The contract is scheduled to be implemented within 5 months.

Evaluation of Regulation of Criminal Procedure Completed

2022, June 13

On 10 June this year, experts from Mykolas Romeris University (MRU) presented the completed study “Analysis and Evaluation of the Existing Regulation of Criminal Procedure”. This evaluation was carried out in the framework of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” financed by the financial mechanism and co-financing of the European Economic Area for 2020-2024.

The analysis of the legal regulation covered various aspects of the activities of the Prosecutor’s Office:

analysis of prosecution of criminal offences that seriously harm national finances and the financial interests of the European Union, crimes against the security of electronic data and information systems, criminal offences involving violence against children or sexual exploitation of children;
the use of information systems and other modern technologies in the field of prosecution;
analysis of the internal structure of the Prosecutor’s Office, staff management and allocation, taking into account the distribution of activities and competences between prosecutors, internal and external cooperation by the Prosecutor’s Office and the prosecutors; cooperation between the main authorities in the area of prosecution, i.e. pre-trial investigation authorities, the prosecutor’s office and the judiciary.

When presenting the results of the study, MRU experts noted that the traditional forms of simplified procedure provided for in the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), such as the procedure for issuing a penal order by the court and the accelerated procedure, as well as forms of optional termination of pre-trial investigation, do not require substantial changes in the legal regulation. However, the indicative time limits for pre-trial investigation laid down in the CPC relate only to the seriousness of the criminal offence, and the fact that those time limits can be extended does not increase the effectiveness of the pre-trial investigation. Experts propose to revise the provisions of Articles 62-65 of the Criminal Procedure Code and to assess the need for appeal to a senior prosecutor, who can be filed with appeals against the actions or decisions of the prosecutor directing and organising the pre-trial investigation. It is proposed to supplement the CPC with provisions prohibiting the abuse of procedural rights by the parties to the proceedings, as well as the right to appeal against the actions and decisions of officials and prosecutors during the pre-trial investigation phase.

During the study, the preconditions for speeding up the process in the investigation of criminal offences causing significant damage to public finances and the EU’s financial interests were assesses and it was found that the use of specialised knowledge has a significant impact on this. The regulation of the use of expertise should give more discretion to those involved in the process of initiating and assigning such investigations. The experts concluded that financial investigation conducted for the purpose of tracing the property to be confiscated does not constitute an independent legal process that can be conducted without linking it to a criminal investigation (except for the financial investigation in some cases of civil confiscation). The CPC does not provide for the possibility of carrying out independent financial investigation after the conclusion of criminal proceedings in order to determine whether the property corresponds to the characteristics of the property to be confiscated. Although the financial investigation conducted in the course of the pre-trial investigation has an impact on the length of criminal proceedings, there are currently no legal assumptions to change such legal regulation. As regards the sanctions for criminal offences of an economic financial nature, it should be noted that the system of penalties is unbalanced and does not comply with the principle of ultima ratio and the requirement of proportionality, both by comparing the penalties laid down in the relevant provisions and with those laid down in other provisions of the Criminal Code. A complex analysis of sanctions for this type of criminal offences is therefore necessary in order to ensure that the penalties and their scope set out therein are fair and proportionate.

After assessing the optimisation of the information systems used by the Prosecution Service namely, the IBPS and IPS, it was proposed to carry out an analysis of user requirements and on the basis of analysis results to decide on improving the functionality of IBPS and IPS.

Experts pointed out that the regulation of the specialisation of prosecutors in criminal proceedings must be based on an dispositive approach to legal regulation (or this approach should be predominant). This would provide wider possibilities for the heads of the prosecutor’s office (the relevant departments) to address the need for relevant specialisations on the basis of administrative aspect, having assessed relevant criteria (e.g. human resources, workload).

The study was carried out by MRU experts Prof. Dr Rima Ažubalytė, Prof. Dr Raimundas Jurka, Prof. Dr Andrius Nevera, Associated Professor Dr Renata Marcinauskaitė and Prof. Dr. Jolanta Zajančkauskienė.

The study carried out will serve as a starting point for further activities of the Prosecution Service of the Republic of Lithuania within the project and for improving the performance of the Prosecution Service.

UAB “Žmogaus studijų centras” Will Organise Trainings for Strengthening Leadership Skills and Key Competences

2022, May 20

On 20 May this year, Deputy Prosecutor General Saulius Verseckas, Chief Prosecutor of the Criminal Prosecution Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office Rimvydas Valentukevičius and Chancellor Jūratė Pavilionienė met with Dr. Edita Dereškevičiūtė, the partner of UAB “Žmogaus studijų centras” which won public procurement.

During the meeting, the project’s future activities, i.e. training on strengthening leadership skills and key competences of employees of the Prosecutor’s Office, were discussed, the training content was planned and training dates starting in September 2022 were scheduled.

Training for strengthening leadership skills and key competences is organised in the framework of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” funded by the European Economic Area financial mechanism.

Leaders of Project Steering Group Discussed Project Implementation with CPVA Representatives

2022, April 15

This week (on April 12) Saulius Verseckas, Deputy Prosecutor General, Rimvydas Valentukevičius, Chief Prosecutor of the Criminal Prosecution Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office, and Chancellor Jūratė Pavilionienė met with representatives of the Central Project Management Agency (CPVA) monitoring the implementation of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania”.

The project is funded by the financial mechanism of the European Economic Area.

During the working meeting, the activities carried out within the project, the implementation of the contracts concluded under the project and the planned procurements were discussed. The participants of the meeting also discussed the challenges arising during the implementation of the project and the way they were solved, and coordinated other topical issues.

Project Implementation Discussed in the Meeting of the Project Steering Group

2022, March 24

This week, the Steering Group of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” funded by the European Economic Area and Norwegian financial mechanisms held a meeting at the Prosecutor General’s Office.

The participants of the meeting discussed the implementation of the activities foreseen in the project, and how the contracts concluded during the project with the service providers were carried out. It was noted that video conference equipment was installed in the Prosecutor General’s Office and Regional Prosecutor’s Offices, which was purchased from the funds provided for in the project. Training of the responsible prosecutor’s office staff on the use of this equipment is currently under way.

The meeting also discussed the comments made by the Central Project Management Agency which supervises the implementation of the project and other relevant issues were considered and agreed upon.

Remote Questioning Equipment Installed at the Prosecutor’s Office

2022, March 24

In February this year, the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Regional Prosecutor’s Offices of Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai and Panevėžys were equipped with remote questioning equipment. It was acquired as part of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” financed by the European Economic Area and Norwegian financial mechanisms.

The winning company “Biznio mašinų kompanija” delivered and installed six remote questioning equipment kits with server software and hardware. The contract stipulates that the supplier will also provide after-sales services.

The employees of the equipment supplier “Biznio mašinų kompanija” trained the IT specialists of the Information Technology Division of the Prosecutor General’s Office on how to use the new equipment. The IT specialists will share the acquired knowledge with other responsible persons of the Prosecutor General’s Office and Regional Prosecutor’s Offices.

Using this equipment, it will be possible to organise with more quality remote meetings, conferences, discussions and necessary questionings of persons.

Agreement on the Development and Implementation of the Prosecution Service Administration Information System

2022, February 4

On 4 February 2002 the Prosecutor General’s Office and UAB Asseco Lietuva signed an agreement on the development and implementation of the Prosecution Service Administration Information System (PAIS).

This system will enable the management of Prosecution Services’s documents, information and other resources and will be adapted to the needs of the Prosecution Service.

Once the Prosecution Service Administration Information System is installed, it will be available to 600 employees at the same time, it will allow for more convenient and expeditious registration of the documents received and sent by the Prosecutor’s Office. Also, the PAIS will help to allocate the tasks, draw up reports, manage the available resources, coordinate and approve training plans, etc.

The Agreement foresees that once the PAIS is set up and installed, the Prosecution Service staff will undergo the training on how to work with the new system.

Norwegian Prosecutors Share Good Practice in Investigating the Most Frequent Crimes with Colleagues in Our Country

2022, January 26

This week, Petter Nordeng, Chief Prosecutor of the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (ØKOKRIM), and Senior Prosecutor Elisabeth Harbo-Levik, are visiting the Prosecutor General’s Office with a working four-day visit.

In meetings with Deputy Prosecutor General S. Verseckas, Chief Prosecutor of the Criminal Prosecution Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office, R. Valentukevičius, and other representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office, prosecutors from Norway will discuss the activities to be implemented and the future trainings to take place during the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania”.

ØKOKRIM representatives and Lithuanian counterparts will share the Norwegian good practices in investigating the most frequent crimes and environmental crimes. Lithuanian prosecutors will introduce guests to the functionality of the Integrated Criminal Procedure Information System (IBPS) used by our national pre-trial investigation authorities, prosecutors and courts.

During the visit, the participants will also talk about a future conference dedicated to the investigation of environmental crimes and discuss the organisational details and the relevant potential topics to be covered during the conference.

The project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” is funded by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism and its implementation is supported by the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (ØKOKRIM).

Relevant Issues Discussed in the Meeting of the Project Steering Group

2022, January 07

On 7 January 2022, the Steering Group held a meeting within the context of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” funded by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism.

The meeting discussed the activities carried out during the project and took note of the comments made by the Central Project Management Agency which controls the implementation of the project. The participants of the meeting exchanged the views on the postponed implementation of the project activities and procurement procedures which sometimes become problematic and lengthy. The Steering Group agreed on the measures to be undertaken in order to ensure timely implementation of the project, and discussed other relevant issues.

Survey on the Image of the Prosecution Service of the Republic of Lithuania

2022, January 05

As part of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” funded by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanisms, a survey on the image of the Prosecution Service of the Republic of Lithuania was carried out in 2021. The aim of the survey was to assess the image of the organisation in the media, the effectiveness of own communication channels and visual tools used for the dissemination of information by the Prosecution Service, to carry out an evaluation of the communication strategy and to draw up recommendations.

The survey revealed that the information published by the Prosecution Service is attractive to the media, the press releases are always available in the media, i.e. online portals, national and local press, radio and television reports. It was concluded that the Prosecution Service creates high-quality content, the representatives of the Prosecution Service attending press conferences retain professionalism and present an image that organisation is steady and reliable.

The website of the Prosecution Service, as a law enforcement authority, is also solid, moderate, clearly structured, informative and functional. Such impression of the website is also created by a classic, simple and minimalist design and easy-to-find the necessary information.
In the recommendations on the Prosecution Service’s account on Facebook, experts from the company that carried out the survey pointed out that communication on this platform could be less formal and that more visual means should be used.

The communication strategy of the Prosecution Service of the Republic of Lithuania was also assessed well: it was noted that Prosecution Service has a modern vision of public communication, an understanding of how to achieve a positive image and build up trust in the institution among the society. However, it has been pointed out that the role of the prosecutor as a victim’s rights defender is not properly reflected in the public and this image should be strengthened.

The experts who carried out the survey on the image of the Prosecution Service pointed out that it is necessary to strengthen communication and public speaking skills of the employees of Prosecution Service, to place greater emphasis on the public image of the prosecutor as a defender of victim’s rights and public interest, to pay more attention to cooperation with local media and to increase communication on Facebook.
The expert recommendations produced after the survey on the image of the Prosecution Service will be taken into consideration during further implementation of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania”.

Contract Implementation Activities Discussed at the Opening Meeting

2021, December 17

On 17 December 2021 an opening meeting of the Working Group for the monitoring of implementation of the Contract on Procurement of the Services related to the Analysis and Evaluation of the Existing Regulation of Criminal Procedure (Service Contract) was held.

During the meeting, the Plan for the Performance of the Contract on Procurement of the Services related to the Analysis and Evaluation of the Existing Regulation of Criminal Procedure was presented. The plan was prepared by a team of experts from Mykolas Romeris University (MRU), on the basis of the technical specifications of the Service Contract signed on 11 November 2021.

Participants of the meeting were introduced to the subject of the Service Contract, were informed of the different criteria of effectiveness and efficiency, and of the dates of the strategic sessions and the dates of delivery of the intermediate results. The MRU’s experts presented with the preliminary structure and content of the final evaluation report and gave an overview of the relevant national legislation and international agreements governing the subject-matter of the Service Contract.

By order of the Prosecutor General of 23 November 2021, the Working Group for monitoring the preparation of the analysis of existing regulation on the criminal procedure was set up. The Working Group aims to supervise and control the implementation of the subject of Contract on Procurement of the Services related to the Analysis and Evaluation of the Existing Regulation of Criminal Procedure that was concluded by the Prosecutor General’s Office and Mykolas Romeris University on 12 November 2021. The members of the Working Group include prosecutors of the Prosecutor General’s Office, Klaipėda Regional Prosecutor’s Office and Vilnius District Prosecutor’s Office.

Contract Signed Between the Prosecutor General’s Office and the MRU on the Evaluation of Regulation of Criminal Procedure

2021, November 12

Prosecutor General’s Office signed a contract with the experts of Mykolas Romeris University (MRU) on carrying out an analysis and evaluation of the existing regulation of criminal procedure. The contract was signed within the context of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” financed by the financial mechanism and co-financing of the European Economic Area for 2020-2024.

The analysis of the legal regulation will cover various aspects of the activities of the Prosecution Service:

analysis of prosecution of criminal offences that seriously harm national finances and the financial interests of the European Union, crimes against the security of electronic data and information systems, criminal offences involving violence against children or sexual exploitation of children;
the use of information systems and other modern technologies in the field of prosecution;
analysis of the internal structure of the Prosecution Service, staff management and allocation, taking into account the distribution of activities and competences between prosecutors, internal and external cooperation by the Prosecution Service and the prosecutors; cooperation between the main authorities in the area of prosecution, i.e. pre-trial investigation authorities, the prosecutor’s office and the judiciary.

On the basis of the analysis carried out, the current regulation of criminal procedure will be assessed and conclusions and recommendations for its improvement will be presented. This survey will serve as a starting point for further activities of the Lithuanian Prosecution Service within the project and for improving the functioning of the Prosecution Service.

Planned Activities Discussed with Project Implementation Partners

2021, October 26

In October 2021, an online meeting was held with the partners of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania”, representatives of the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (ØKOKRIM).

During the meeting, representatives of the Prosecutor General’s Office and ØKOKRIM discussed the activities of the project being implemented and the details of the Norwegian partners’ future visit to Lithuania.

The meeting participants focused on the training planned for the employees of the Lithuanian Prosecution Service which will be conducted by ØKOKRIM representatives. Training on financial-economic crime and environmental crime is scheduled to start in early 2022.

Presentation of the Results of the Survey into Work Environment in the Prosecutor’s Office

2021, January 14

In implementing the activities of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” financed by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism, the Prosecutor General’s Office carried out a survey into work environment perceived by the prosecutor’s office staff.

The following indicators were assessed during the survey: a sense of safety for employees; creativity and initiative of employees; organisation’s traditions and values; internal communication; relations with division heads; relations between employees; control of employees; openness and tolerance to innovation; conflicts; motivation of employees, etc.

Implementation of the Project in the Prosecutor’s Office as Seen by Modern Art

2020, December 8

A modern and open prosecutor’s office – this the objective set by the Lithuanian Prosecutor General’s Office which launched a 4-year project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” this year. The project has received over EUR 2.2 million from the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism.

The implementation of the project in the national prosecutor’s office is also discussed by the art installations installed in the buildings of regional prosecutor’s offices in Kaunas, Šiauliai and Panevėžys. Bright light paths reflecting the passers-by and environment invite to approach the law enforcement authorities. This week, lighting installations will be installed in other cities, Vilnius and Klaipėda. The installations created by the young artist Živilė Minkut can also be found at the buildings of other institutions institutions participating in the Justice and Home Affairs Programme of the European Economic Area and Norwegian Financial Mechanisms namely, courts, the police and remand prisons.

“Justice obliges us to never stop improving in defending the rights of victims and the public interest. During the project implemented together with the Norwegian partners, we will focus on increasing the efficiency of prosecution and strengthening the competences of prosecutors, especially in organising large-scale, complex pre-trial investigations of financial and economic crimes. Having faced with the challenges of teleworking during the pandemic, we will also update computer equipment and improve the information systems used by the prosecutor’s office so that can be used more conveniently not only by prosecutor’s offices, but also pre-trial investigation institutions,” says Prosecutor General Evaldas Pašilis.

The national prosecutor’s office is implementing this project together with a partner, the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Økokrim). The implementation of the project is monitored by the Central Project Management Agency (CPVA).

Prosecutor’s Office Staff Equipped with Laptops

2020, September 30

As part of the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania” funded by the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism, the Prosecutor General’s Office purchased 330 laptops “HP Probook”.

The laptops were prepared for work and distributed to the employees of the prosecutor’s office. This procurement was very important in ensuring high-quality teleworking in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The contract for the purchase of computers with the supplier was signed on 20 July 2020.

Teleconference Focusing on Economic and Financial Crime Investigation

2020, January 20

Today, within the project “Building up Modern and Open Prosecution Service in the Republic of Lithuania”, a videoconference took place at the Prosecutor General’s Office, focusing on the attitude of the Lithuanian and Norwegian prosecutors to criminal policy in cases of economic and financial crimes.

Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė welcomed more than a hundred participants of the conference and noted that during the project implemented together with the Norwegian partners, much attention will be paid to increasing the efficiency of prosecution and strengthening the competences of prosecutors, especially in organising large-scale, complex pre-trial investigations of financial and economic crimes.

The detection of criminal offences such as fraud, tax avoidance, legalisation of proceeds of crime, etc. requires prosecutors and officers of pre-trial investigation institutions to constantly improve their knowledge and exchange experience.

The most pressing challenges of prosecution in cases of financial and economic crimes in Lithuania were reviewed by Vytautas Kukaitis, Prosecutor at Criminal Prosecution Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office. Petter Nordeng, Chief Prosecutor of the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (ØKOKRIM), and Senior Prosecutor Elisabeth Harbo-Levik shared their experience in the investigation of economic criminal offences in Norway. The event was moderated by Saulius Verseckas, Chief Prosecutor of the Criminal Prosecution Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office.

The videoconference was also attended by representatives from the Seimas Committee on Legal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, prosecutor’s offices, judges and officers of pre-trial investigation institutions.