Vilnius court fines Kinderevičius €20,000 for bribing city officials

A Vilnius district court has issued a final €20,000 fine to Arūnas Kinderevičius for bribery, influence peddling, and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, Lithuania’s Special Investigation Service announced on Wednesday.

The court also ordered the confiscation of nearly €9,700 in bribes received by Kinderevičius, along with the unlawfully held weapon and ammunition.

According to the ruling, Kinderevičius exploited personal connections with Vilnius City Municipality officials to secure a €9,700 bribe under the guise of a sham contract. In exchange, he promised to influence decision-makers to approve favourable terms for issuing transport infrastructure permits.

Investigators further established that between 2020 and 2021, Kinderevičius repeatedly bribed municipality employees—paying sums ranging from €100 to €500—to expedite approvals for construction project permits and licensing documents. The illegal firearm and ammunition were discovered at his residence during the probe.

The case stems from a broader pre-trial investigation into large-scale corruption, involving 31 convictions to date. Courts have imposed over €500,000 in fines, confiscated €49,000 in illicit gains and €74,000 in assets, while 15 individuals avoided criminal liability by paying €43,200 in restitution to Lithuania’s Crime Victims’ Fund.

The February 24 ruling is now legally binding. The investigation remains ongoing, targeting systemic bribery and influence peddling across state institutions overseeing the construction sector.