"The searches are intended to verify data of a pre-trial investigation into whether the prices for heating supplied by Vilniaus Energija were not boosted artificially during purchase of fuel for heating production," the Prosecutor General's Office said.
The investigation into suspected fraud and abuse by individuals involved in Vilniaus Energija's management is organized by prosecutors of Criminal Prosecution Department of the Prosecutor General's Office. The probe is conducted by the Financial Crimes Investigation Service.
Nerijus Mikalajūnas, spokesman for Vilniaus Energija, confirmed to BNS that the premises were searched. He said the company would provide no further comment on the topic on Thursday.
The searched companies include Vilniaus Energija and related firms.
Rūta Dirsienė, spokeswoman for the Prosecutor General's Office, said the investigation was carried out based on the data collected by the Financial Crimes Investigation Service. She refused to specify whether the searches had anything to do with biofuel deals.
The fuel burned by Vilniaus Energija mainly includes natural gas it buys from Dujotekana, as well as biofuel, which generates about 9 percent of all heating energy in Vilnius. The biofuel is bought from Bionovus.
Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaitė said in early 2012 that Bionovus was monopolizing the crude biofuel supply sector.
"The heating sector is one of the biggest monopolies. We also see a monopoly forming in the biofuel market – this is Bionovus (...). It is important to make sure that competition and anonymity of various suppliers guarantees lower prices for all people," the president then said.
Icor is indirectly linked with Vilniaus Energija – Icor's shareholders are also top executives of Vilniaus Energija and Dalkia Lietuva.
According to information provided by the National Control Commission for Prices and Energy, Vilnius residents are paying 30.43 Lithuanian cents including VAT (EUR 0,088) per kilowatt-hour. In addition to Vilnius, residents of another 16 cities across the country pay more than 30 cents per kilowatt-hour of heat.