Lithuanian MP accused of pushing legal changes to cancel fine for fuel network Jozita

A Lithuanian lawmaker attempted to retroactively eliminate a €95,000 fine imposed on the fuel station chain Jozita by rewriting legislation, an investigation by news outlet Siena.lt reveals.

MP Aidas Gedvilas, then a member of the Labour Party before founding the Nemuno Aušra faction, allegedly worked with conservative colleague Justinas Urbanavičius in the previous parliamentary term to amend the Alternative Fuels Law. The changes would have absolved Jozita and other fuel companies of penalties for past violations.

Gedvilas denies acting in Jozita’s interests, insisting his proposals could benefit multiple fuel networks. However, records show his family previously sold two fuel stations to Jozita for €1.45 million in 2016, with Gedvilas later borrowing €365,000 from the company handling the sale. He has not disclosed repayment details.

The fines stem from failures to meet mandatory biofuel quotas. In 2023, the National Energy Regulatory Council (VERT) penalised four companies, including Jozita (€95,500), Energijos Kodas (€4.44 million), Sunergus (€167,000), and Alauša (€30,000). Energijos Kodas later declared bankruptcy, leaving its fine unpaid.

Gedvilas remains listed as a board member of the Lithuanian Fuel Stations Association, a lobbying group that advocated for the legal changes. The association and an attorney linked to fuel networks reportedly drafted Urbanavičius’s amendments.

Jozita’s owner, Jonas Jokubauskis, responded to questions about ties with Gedvilas with aggression and profanity, according to Siena.lt.