Lithuania’s Supreme Administrative Court last week heard Navickas’ plea on the demand and will pronounce its verdict on April 11. The finding will be final and not subject to appeals.
The Defence Ministry has also turned the court with the plea, asking to annul the ruling of the court of first instance and pass a new decision, rejecting the claimant’s plea as ungrounded.
The Vilnius District Court ruled that Navickas had been removed from office without proper legal and factual grounds.
After the probe of helicopter repairs Navickas was reinstated to office and soon after listed in the army’s temporary reserve, followed by sacking a few months later for humiliating the name of the defense minister and the chief of defense.
The dispatch of the Mi-8 military helicopters to Russia for repairs was suspended in the last phase in 2016 after being screened by a few officials of the defense system.
Lithuania’s Defence Ministry said the helicopter repairs in Russia would have run counter to the European Union‘s sanctions for Moscow and Lithuania’s foreign policy.
Dainius Guzas currently serves as Lithuania’s Air Force commander.