Lithuanian MP Skvernelis refuses to comment on €51,000 bribery allegations

Former prime minister and current MP Saulius Skvernelis has declined to comment on bribery allegations involving a €51,000 payment, stating he will address the matter in parliament next week, LRT reports.

Lithuania’s Prosecutor General’s Office has moved to strip Skvernelis of his legal immunity as an MP after accusing him of accepting the sum through an intermediary, his former advisor Agnė Silickienė. Prosecutors allege the money was intended to secure his political favour.

Skvernelis, who resigned as leader of the Democrats’ Union “For Lithuania” party following the allegations, told journalists on Friday: “I will comment when I am in the Seimas. That will be next Tuesday, I suppose. There’s little point in doing anything now.” He added that he currently lacks details of the pre-trial investigation but will respond to questions “as always” once the process unfolds.

The Prosecutor General, Nida Grunskienė, formally requested on Thursday that Skvernelis’ immunity be lifted, a procedural step required before charges can be brought. If convicted of accepting a bribe of this scale, he could face between two and eight years in prison under Lithuania’s Criminal Code.

Skvernelis confirmed to news outlet 15min that he was travelling to Poland on Friday, describing it as a long-planned trip of which the Seimas leadership had been notified. He has not indicated whether he will voluntarily waive his immunity.

The case stems from a broader corruption probe into the State Plant Service, where officials are suspected of systematically extorting bribes—totalling some €1.5 million—from companies transporting plants and agricultural products in exchange for phytosanitary certificates. Fourteen individuals, including the agency’s former director, have been detained in connection with the scheme.

Skvernelis, who served as prime minister from 2016 to 2020, has previously denied wrongdoing. Another MP, conservatives’ Kazys Starkevičius, resigned his seat last year after his home and office were searched as part of the same investigation.