Kornijenko, Director of the State Service for Plant Breeding, suspected of corruption, will wear a balaclava

Yuriy Korniyenko, the director of the State Service for Plant Breeding, who is under suspicion in a major corruption case, was ordered by a court on Friday to wear a balaclava.

The pre-trial judge imposed the requested precautionary measure – intensive supervision – for a period of three months, court spokesman Giedrius Janonis told Elta.

The Vilnius City District Court had received the prosecutor's request to place the suspect under intensive supervision.

On Wednesday, a remote hearing was held on the prosecutor's request.

On Friday, the pre-trial judge decided to grant the prosecutor's request and to place the suspect under intensive supervision for a period of 3 months from 11 January to 11 April.

The detention order – the obligation to wear a collar – can only be imposed by the court, the prosecutor cannot impose or extend the period of this detention measure on his own. It is the second most severe form of detention. On receipt of an application for this measure, the court will normally consider whether the imposition of this measure will ensure the provision of electricity and proper communication.

A sock is an electronic device that allows the suspect's whereabouts to be monitored.

The decision may be appealed within 7 days to the Vilnius Regional Court, by lodging an appeal through the Vilnius City District Court.

The pre-trial investigation is supervised by the Prosecutor of the Organised Crime and Corruption Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General's Office.

ELTA recalls that in December last year, officials reported that during the investigation of a very large-scale corruption in the State Plant Breeding Service, officials detained a total of 13 persons, 6 of whom were arrested for 1–2 months. The other suspects were sentenced to lighter remand measures.

The total amount of bribes amounts to almost €1.5 million. The Prosecutor's Office calls the investigation an unprecedented corruption investigation.

The pre-trial investigation has established that representatives of companies transporting plants and plant products systematically demanded and received bribes of a high value for the phytosanitary certificates issued by the State Plant Husbandry Service to the transporters of these goods. 

Among the suspects are the aforementioned Director of the State Plant Breeding Service J. Kornijenka, his deputy Mantas Butas, advisors of the Service Aurelijus Šapranauskas and Agnė Silickienė, the Head of the Alytus Regional Division Giedrius Urbelionis and the temporary Head of the Kaunas Regional Division Dalia Šubonienė.

They are suspected of bribery in an organised group. Suspicions of bribery, bribery and influence peddling in an organised group have also been brought against 7 managers of private companies and related persons.

The suspects face a maximum penalty of up to 8 years' imprisonment.

Over 100 searches led to the seizure of more than €1.3 million in cash, 8 kilograms of gold worth around €1 million, 11,000 packets of cigarettes, 14,000 litres of alcohol, cocaine and explosives.