Šiaulių sports centre director loses driving licence after drink-driving arrest

Šiaulių Athletics and Wellness Centre director Mindaugas Bezaras was caught driving under the influence and has lost his driving licence, LRT.lt reported.

Police stopped Bezaras on June 27 during a morning roadside check on the Šiauliai Palanga road near Kuršėnai in Šiaulių district. An alcohol test showed 0.64 per mille.

On July 13, he was fined 800 euros and banned from driving for six months. For a further 12 months, he will only be allowed to drive a vehicle fitted with an alcohol interlock.

The incident was not included in the police reports, a police communications official confirmed. She said Bezaras had been stopped while driving a Volvo and expressed surprise that the case had not appeared in the summaries.

Bezaras confirmed to LRT.lt that he had been driving under the influence and received a fine. He said he assessed his conduct very critically and could not justify it.

Asked whether he had informed the management of Šiauliai City Municipality about the violation, Bezaras replied that he had not.

Bezaras became director of the publicly funded centre after winning a recruitment competition about a year ago. His previous convictions did not prevent his appointment.

About five years ago, he was convicted over the distribution of pornographic images and videos and a breach of public order. The court imposed a 4,000-euro fine. The case followed his sending 83 pornographic videos and 10 photographs to an acquaintance, priest Alionidas Budrius, through social media. The article also says Bezaras had previously been involved in a fight outside a cafe.

When he was appointed director, Bezaras said his past mistakes had made him reconsider his values and that he wanted to set an example for others.