Former speaker of parliament charged with bribery in major corruption case

The corruption allegations against Saulius Skvernelis, a former speaker of the Lithuanian parliament and current leader of the Democrats’ Union “For Lithuania” party, represent a “blow to the system itself,” political scientist Rima Urbonaitė told LRT Television’s Svarbi valanda programme on Wednesday.

Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė formally requested that the Seimas strip Skvernelis of his legal immunity after a pre-trial investigation uncovered evidence that he allegedly received bribes totalling around €51,000. Skvernelis, who also previously served as prime minister and police commissioner general, announced he would suspend his party membership but stated he would not resign his parliamentary seat.

Urbonaitė emphasised that the case is unprecedented due to Skvernelis’s former position as speaker, a role with significant authority. “We are talking about someone who held the highest office in the Seimas, a figure who positioned himself as a fighter against injustice and crime,” she said. “If confirmed, this would be an extraordinary situation—not just about a former speaker, but a former prime minister and police commissioner general.”

The allegations suggest Skvernelis may have received monthly payments, with the total sum reaching approximately €51,000. Urbonaitė noted that his recent rhetoric—including comments about the separate corruption case involving Ilma Paluckė, wife of Social Democrat MP Gintautas Paluckas—appeared inconsistent. While Skvernelis previously avoided framing his own case as politically motivated, he recently described Paluckė as a “target of political struggle.”

Virginijus Sinkevičius, deputy chairman of the Democrats’ Union, told Diena that the party was caught off guard by the prosecutor’s letter but stressed the presumption of innocence. “We will not rush to judge him,” Sinkevičius said. “He will be a participant in this process and will have the opportunity to defend himself in court.”

The investigation ties Skvernelis to a wider corruption scheme in which former officials of the State Plant Service allegedly formed an organised group to extort bribes from business owners in exchange for phytosanitary certificates.