Lithuania’s prosecutor general seeks to strip MP Paluckas of legal immunity

Lithuania’s prosecutor general will formally request that parliament remove the legal immunity of Gintautas Paluckas, a lawmaker and former prime minister, state broadcaster LRT reported Tuesday.

Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė will ask the Seimas (parliament) to allow criminal proceedings against Paluckas under articles of the criminal code covering abuse of office and unlawful enrichment. Investigators allege that between December 2010 and late 2024, Paluckas and his wife Ilma Paluckienė acquired assets worth nearly €345,000—including cash deposits, vehicles, real estate, and securities—through suspicious transactions.

Paluckas, who resigned as prime minister last summer following media investigations into his business ties and property deals, has stated he will voluntarily waive his immunity via a simplified procedure. However, he told reporters he does not intend to resign his parliamentary seat, despite calls from President Gitanas Nausėda to step down.

Last week, business daily Verslo žinios reported that Paluckas had divested his shares in electronics manufacturer Emus as of April 21, leaving his business partner Mindaugas Milašauskas as the sole owner. Investigative outlet Siena separately revealed that prosecutors had seized real estate linked to the lawmaker.

The prosecutor general’s office launched its pre-trial investigation into Paluckas last year after journalistic reports surfaced alleging questionable financial dealings. Paluckas temporarily suspended his membership in the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP) following the scandal but has not left the party.