Ignalina council member and son remain convicted for misappropriating municipal funds

A Lithuanian appeals court has upheld the convictions of Ignalina District Council member Edita Brukštuvienė and her son, former council member Vykintas Brukštus, for misappropriating €2,400 in municipal funds, though their fines were reduced, LRT reports.

The court ruled on Thursday that the pair had been justifiably convicted of embezzlement but acquitted on separate charges of document forgery. As a result, Brukštuvienė’s fine was lowered from €9,000 to €7,500, while her son’s penalty was reduced from €8,000 to €6,500.

Both remain barred from holding public office for three years, a restriction that takes immediate effect. Brukštuvienė will consequently lose her council seat.

An investigation by Lithuania’s Special Investigations Service (STT) found that between 2019 and 2023, Brukštuvienė submitted 35 falsified documents to the Ignalina District Municipality administration, claiming reimbursement for fuel expenses she had not incurred. Her son was linked to 25 similar cases involving forged receipts from gas station employees.

According to prosecutors, Brukštuvienė fraudulently obtained €1,456 from the municipal budget, while Brukštus received €984. Gas station staff admitted to altering receipts by replacing customer details with those of the council members, who then submitted the documents for reimbursement. The employees, having confessed, were granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for testimony.

The case emerged from a broader anti-corruption probe, initiated by activist Andrius Tapinas, into the misuse of public funds by local politicians across Lithuania.