Vilnius city administration director’s home and office searched by police

Lithuanian police have conducted searches at the home and workplace of Adomas Bužinskas, director of the Vilnius city administration, as part of a criminal investigation, LRT reports.

Bužinskas confirmed the searches in a Facebook post on Thursday, stating that officers raided his home and office without prior notification. “According to initial information, this is because I did not attend a police interview regarding the continued use of a street infrastructure standard,” he wrote. He added that he had never received a summons.

The search was carried out by Vilnius County Police’s Economic Crimes Investigation Board under suspicion of abuse of office and dereliction of duty, according to the BNS news agency. Bužinskas’ car was also searched, but nothing was found.

Bužinskas, currently on leave in Spain, said he learned of the search from his wife and colleagues. He claimed the investigation relates to a 2019 street infrastructure standard he signed as deputy director, which a court later ruled invalid in 2024. “We informed staff repeatedly after the ruling that the standard could no longer be applied,” he stated.

He denied receiving any summons and said officers took only a tablet belonging to his grandmother, containing family photos. “I respect the officers’ work and thank them for their professionalism during an unpleasant process,” he added.

In June 2024, Lithuania’s Supreme Administrative Court ruled that the Vilnius street standard was not legally binding, as it had not been published in the official Legal Acts Register. The court, however, rejected a government request to force the municipality to register it, citing judicial overreach.