Customs inspects the business of Igna Vēgėlė’s family for compliance with sanctions Business

Customs officials took action even before the public publication of the investigation. I. Vēgėlė himself spoke regarding this in the TV3 studio, saying that he received a call from his brother, “Vilpros” general director Martyn Vēgėlė, and learned regarding the documents requested by customs.

This was also confirmed by the Customs Department on Thursday.

Eriko Ovčarenko/BNS photo/Ignas Vēgėlė

“Currently, an inspection of the economic and commercial activities of the company you mentioned, its accounting and financial reporting is being carried out, related to the application of customs legislation, during which it is checked whether international sanctions have been complied with,” said Henrika Rukšėnienė, adviser of the Communications Department, in a written comment sent to “Siena”.

According to her, the pre-trial investigation regarding the facts made public in the “Candidate and Kondyškės” investigation has not been started at the moment, and the officials will make further decisions following conducting an inspection of “Vilpros”.

We remind you that in the study “Candidate and Condyshkės” we revealed how “Vilpra” discovered a new market and started exporting air conditioners to Kyrgyzstan – just at the time when EU sanctions on the export of these goods to Belarus came into force. The goods were supplied to two Kyrgyz companies registered at non-existent addresses – one called “Service Pack LCD” ostensibly operating in a yet-to-be-built business center, and the other, Mavic Expert, registered on the thirteenth floor of an eight-story building.

In the investigation, we also revealed that both of these Kyrgyz companies are among the largest suppliers of the Belarusian company “Custom Service”. Belarusian journalists from the investigative journalism center “Biuro” recently revealed that this company was involved in a sanctions evasion scheme and supplied European cars to the Russian market in large quantities.

Both I. Vēgėlė and “Vilpra” categorically deny any versions regarding the circumvention of sanctions. The politician and his family’s business also claim that the investigation “Candidate and the confederates” is “commissioned”.