Council members in Marijampolė and Birštonas face fraud charges in “receipts” scandal

Lithuania’s Special Investigation Service (STT) and prosecutors have formally accused three municipal council members of fraud, abuse of power, and document forgery in the ongoing “receipts” scandal, public broadcaster LRT reports.

Irena Lunskienė, a councilor in Marijampolė, and Vytautas Jokimas, a councilor in Birštonas, are suspected of submitting false expense claims for fuel, internet, and other costs between 2019 and 2021. Investigators allege Lunskienė caused €3,928 in damages to Marijampolė’s administration, while Jokimas is accused of defrauding Birštonas of €1,396.

Karolis Petkevičius, a former councilor in Kaišiadorys District Municipality, also faces charges for allegedly falsifying transport expense reports between 2019 and 2023, resulting in €2,148 in losses for the municipality.

Meanwhile, Valdas Mikalajūnas, a former councilor in Ukmergė District, was spared prosecution after admitting guilt, repaying €9,235 in unjustly claimed funds, and expressing remorse. A court upheld prosecutors’ decision to drop charges but barred Mikalajūnas from holding public office for five years.

The scandal emerged after civic activist Andrius Tapinas launched the “Skaidrinam” (We Reveal) investigation into municipal politicians’ misuse of office expense funds, prompting widespread legal scrutiny of local councils.