VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Suspicions as part of the ongoing investigation into environmental pollution caused by Grigeo Klaipeda, a cardboard producer, will be brought next week, and there will be "more than one or two" suspects, local prosecutor Gina Skersinskyte says.

"Suspicions will be brought next week, I think there will be more than one or two (suspects – BNS)," the prosecutor told journalists on Friday after visiting the incident area with specialists.

Her statement was broadcast by the Atvira Klaipeda (Open Klaipeda) news website.

Asked whether the suspects would include the company's executives and it wouldn't happen so that only employees who operated the valves would be made liable, the prosecutor said: "It might happen so that if the operator realized what he was doing, then he will become a suspect."

The prosecutor also said she believes untreated wastewater was released with the knowledge of the management and it was done every night.

"The valves were operated and it was done intentionally to release wastewater. We believe it was done every night. The goal of the pre-trial investigation is to find out (what period of time wastewater was released – BNS) but we believe it was done every night," the prosecutor said.

She could not say if wastewater was released via an emergency pipe or some other pipe. The valves that were operated are inside the company's pump-house.

Klaipeda prosecutors said on Tuesday they suspect the company used a bypass pipe to release untreated wastewater into the Curonian Lagoon, and the damage might be valued at dozens of millions of euros.

Gintautas Pangonis, Grigeo president and main shareholder, says untreated wastewater was released into the Curonian Lagoon via an emergency pipe.

In hi words, some wastewater entered the Curonian Lagoon after mechanical treatment but it was not treated biologically. He could not say how much wastewater had been released into the Curonian Lagoon.

The company has pledged to compensate for the environmental damage done.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 07, Vilnius newsroom