Lithuanian prosecutors seek to lift Skvernelis’ immunity in high-profile bribery case

Lithuania’s Prosecutor General’s Office has requested that parliament strip former prime minister Saulius Skvernelis of his legal immunity, a necessary step before formally charging him in a 51,000-euro bribery investigation, LRT.lt reports.

The move signals that prosecutors have gathered sufficient evidence to proceed with allegations that Skvernelis, now leader of the Democrats’ Union “For Lithuania” party, accepted bribes in exchange for helping a senior agriculture official retain his post. Prosecutors claim the payments were funneled through an intermediary, identified only as A. Silickienė, in multiple installments.

Mykolas Romeris University law professor Raimundas Jurka cautioned that the request to lift immunity does not prove guilt but indicates investigators have “enough data to publicly formulate accusations.” Under Lithuanian law, sitting MPs enjoy protection from detention, surveillance, or formal charges unless parliament votes to waive their immunity. “If permission is granted, it opens the door for law enforcement to issue charges, apply coercive measures, or even detain the individual,” Jurka explained. Without parliamentary approval, Skvernelis could only be questioned as a special witness, not as a suspect.

The case stems from a broader 2025 corruption probe into the State Plant Service under the Agriculture Ministry, where officials are suspected of systemic graft. Skirmantas Bikelis, a legal scholar at the Lithuanian Social Sciences Centre, warned that a parliamentary refusal to lift immunity would deal a “serious blow to the rule of law,” even as Skvernelis himself has urged lawmakers to fast-track the decision.

Skvernelis—a former police chief, interior minister, and Seimas speaker—has denied wrongdoing. Jurka noted that high-profile corruption cases often collapse under evidentiary burdens, but the reputational damage lingers regardless of the outcome. “Sometimes these stories end with nothing, yet the shadow of suspicion remains,” he said.

Democrats “For Lithuania” has named MEP Virginijus Sinkevičius as interim leader pending the investigation’s resolution.