VILNIUS, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite called for legislative changes to boost transparency in the country's political process on Thursday, following a probe by the Parliamentary Committee on Nation Security and Defense (NSGK) on business influence on politics.
Grybauskaite said she hopes the findings of NSGK about the influence of business groups on politics would lead to real actions aimed at improving transparency in political processes.
"We hope the half-year work by the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense would also lead to amendments and new judicial instruments to improve transparency in political processes," she said.
Late on Wednesday, NSGK announced key findings and conclusions of its long-awaited probe into unlawful influence of business groups on political processes in Lithuania. The key findings in the 48-page document are based on information provided by the country's State Security Department.
NSGK found out that large business groups tried to influence politicians, authorities and top decision-makers during the last ten years to benefit from major energy projects and public procurement.
The probe focused on activities of MG Baltic and Vilniaus prekyba, the country's two largest business groups, as well as representatives of Rosatom, Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation, on influencing dismantle of Lithuania's nuclear power plant in Ignalina and the country's efforts to achieve energy independence.
"We have to stop these people and cut that kind of operations," the head of NSGK Vytautas Bakas commented on the findings of the probe to local media.
"We have to look at this from the perspective of national security, and if their activities are considered as contradictory to interests of national security, they have to be banned from strategic sectors," said Bakas.
MG Baltic called the conclusions of the Committee "a political farce and nothing more".
"These so called conclusions are a selective, politically motivated mix of rumors. Because of this process the entire business environment in Lithuania will suffer negative consequences," MG Baltic said in a statement.
Vilniaus prekyba said the conclusions are false. "Vilniaus prekyba suffers huge damage to its reputation," the company told local media.
NSGK also concluded that there should be new investigations into the country's previous energy projects which involved state cooperation with private companies.
The Committee also provided proposals on preventing influence of business groups on political processes, media regulation, and improving political parties' financial accountability.
NSGK also proposed to establish the institution of intelligence ombudsman to help ensure better control of security services. Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis says he backs the idea.
Opposition parties questioned the impartiality of the Committee's probe.
"The results of the probe leave an impression of selectiveness and fragmentation," the head of the largest opposition party Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Thursday in a statement.
He noted the probe didn't look into Agrokoncernas, the country's major fertilizer trading and agri-business company, tied to the leader of the country's ruling Peasants and Greens Union Ramunas Karbauskis.
