A middle-ranking army officer has been arrested for allegedly accepting hundreds of thousands of euros in kickbacks from suppliers he favored when awarding military contracts.

The unnamed lieutenant colonel, who was in charge of the army’s printing facilities, is believed to have given contracts to suppliers, such as paper producers, on the condition he was paid a commission of about a third of the total fee involved. “The suspect essentially made himself a partner with suppliers, demanding from them a percentage of sales which ranged between 18 to 39 percent,” said a source. Police were tipped off about the operations after the officer upped his demands from a supplier.

In response to the news, the military has dismissed the officer and launched an investigation to determine whether he is liable for any criminal acts.