Civil case filed against former PM’s advisor over unjust enrichment

A civil case has been filed in Klaipėda District Court against Svetlana Tučkė, a Palanga City Council member and former advisor to ex-Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, accusing her of unjust enrichment, Delfi reports.

Prosecutors are seeking to recover over €6,600 from Tučkė, alleging she improperly enriched herself by purchasing fuel outside Palanga and submitting the bills to the municipality for reimbursement.

According to the investigation, between 2019 and 2023, the Palanga municipality reimbursed Tučkė more than €12,000 in expenses. The majority, over €8,900, was spent on fuel, with around €3,000 for car maintenance and repairs, and €30 on office supplies.

Prosecutors found that Tučkė purchased fuel outside municipal borders even during quarantine periods, totaling 543 liters, and later submitted the invoices to the municipality for payment. Over her term, the municipality covered 6,200 liters of fuel for her.

Tučkė told Delfi she had worked in Vilnius and traveled to Palanga for council meetings and consultations. She stated that municipal law requires employers to cover travel costs for council members, and she had obtained permission from her employer to fulfill her duties.

Tučkė currently serves as chair of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party’s Palanga branch. She previously worked as a social policy advisor in Paluckas’ team and later as chancellor at the Ministry of Social Security and Labour under Minister Jūratė Zailskienė.