Lithuanian parliament to vote on lifting Skvernelis’ immunity for criminal prosecution

The Lithuanian parliament will vote Thursday on whether to lift the legal immunity of former speaker Saulius Skvernelis to allow prosecutors to bring bribery charges against him, LRT reports.

Under Lithuania’s constitution, a member of parliament cannot be criminally prosecuted or have their freedom restricted without the Seimas’ consent. The vote requires at least 71 of 141 lawmakers to approve lifting immunity.

Prosecutors allege Skvernelis, while serving as Seimas speaker in 2025, accepted at least €51,000 in cash bribes from his then-adviser Agnė Silickienė, who also worked at the State Plant Service. In exchange, he allegedly used his influence to protect the agency’s director, Jurijus Kornijenka, from dismissal, intervened in complaints about the service’s operations, and assisted in staffing decisions.

General Prosecutor Nida Grunskienė told lawmakers Tuesday that evidence—including witness testimony, seized documents, and pre-trial records—supports the claim that Skvernelis knew the payments were illicit. The case stems from a broader corruption probe into the Plant Service, where officials are accused of issuing phytosanitary certificates without proper inspections in return for bribes.

Fifteen individuals, including former conservative MP and agriculture minister Kazys Starkevičius, face charges in the investigation. Skvernelis, who suspended his party membership and left his parliamentary faction last week, was questioned as a special witness by the Special Investigations Service in February.

Prosecutors allege the corruption scheme, involving Kornijenka, his adviser Aurelijus Šapranauskas, and others, generated over €1.1 million in bribes between June and December 2025. Skvernelis is referred to in case documents under the codename “Krabas” (Crab).