Witness in Šiauliai corruption case testifies mayor’s influence was relayed through company director
A key witness in the Šiauliai corruption trial has testified that the city’s mayor, Artūras Visockas, indirectly pressured a public procurement commission through the director of the municipal lighting company, state broadcaster LRT reports.
Giedrius Popovas, deputy chair of the procurement commission at Šiaulių gatvių apšvietimas (now Šiaulių šviesa), told the court that while Visockas never directly intervened, his “wishes” were conveyed by then-director Tomas Petreikis. The case centres on allegations that Visockas, businessman Danielius Krinickis, and hired expert Rytis Maliukevičius colluded to rig a 2020 tender for LED streetlights in favour of Infes technologijos, a company linked to Krinickis.
Popovas testified that Maliukevičius, despite lacking engineering qualifications in lighting, was trusted to finalise the technical specifications—only for the commission to later discover critical changes that risked disqualifying all bidders. “I realised we’d never buy the lights under those terms, but Rytis assured us everything would work out,” Popovas stated. He added that both he and another consultant, Pranciškus Vitta, had objected to unrealistic weight limits (4 kg per fixture) and voltage requirements, but their concerns were overruled.
The trial has previously heard from Petreikis, who described intense pressure from Visockas, including personal stress that allegedly contributed to his wife’s miscarriage. Visockas, Krinickis, and Maliukevičius deny wrongdoing; Maliukevičius missed the latest hearing due to sudden illness. Judge Gintarė Bunikienė scheduled the next session for May 15 to review video evidence.
The case stems from a 2020 Special Investigations Service (STT) operation that exposed attempts to manipulate the €3.5 million tender, which ultimately proceeded after the specifications were adjusted—saving the municipality a “significant sum,” per investigators. Visockas faces an additional charge of witness tampering.