Silickienė raised husband’s declared bank savings on day of charges

State Plant Service adviser Agnė Silickienė corrected her family asset declaration on the day she was formally suspected of bribery as part of an organised group, LRT reported, citing the Delfi news portal.

According to Lithuania’s State Tax Inspectorate, Silickienė amended the declaration on December 17, 2025, changing the amount her husband held in a bank. He had previously declared €6,700 in bank deposits and €88,700 in cash. After the amendment, his declared bank savings rose to €25,400.

Silickienė herself declared €97,600 in savings, including €70,000 held in cash, according to the tax authority.

Corruption investigation

Investigators examining possible corruption at the State Plant Service carried out searches at the home and office of Seimas member Saulius Skvernelis in February. He was charged with bribery in April.

In December, authorities detained 13 people while investigating alleged large-scale corruption at the service. The number of suspects later increased.

According to law enforcement, representatives of companies transporting plants and plant products were systematically asked for and paid large bribes in exchange for phytosanitary certificates issued by the service for cargo carriers.

The suspects named at that stage included suspended service director Jurijus Kornijenko, his deputy Mantas Butas, adviser Silickienė, who also worked with Skvernelis, Alytus regional office head Giedrius Urbelionis and acting head of the Kaunas regional office Dalia Šubonienė.

More than 100 searches resulted in the seizure of over €1.3 million in cash and eight kilograms of gold valued at about €1 million. Authorities also found 11,000 packs of cigarettes, 14,000 litres of alcohol, cocaine and explosives.

Searches were also carried out at conservative Kazys Starkevičius’s home and office in February. He was later charged, gave up his parliamentary mandate and said he was suspending his membership in the Homeland Union Lithuanian Christian Democrats party. He later told the 15min news portal that he had accepted a bribe of up to €20,000.