Appeal court upholds Druskininkai mayor’s corruption conviction

Lithuania’s Court of Appeal on Monday upheld the conviction of Druskininkai Mayor Ričardas Malinauskas in a corruption case, LRT reported.

Judge Evaldas Gražys said the court had rejected Malinauskas’s lawyer’s appeal and that the three-judge panel had no doubts about his guilt.

The verdict is now legally effective. Malinauskas remains convicted of influence peddling and must pay a 60,000-euro fine, while an additional 30,000 euros will be collected from him.

Because the conviction was upheld, Malinauskas will no longer be able to serve as mayor. The Central Electoral Commission will revoke his mandate in accordance with the Election Code.

As fewer than 12 months remain until the next scheduled municipal council and mayoral elections, no new election would be held in Druskininkai. An interim mayor appointed by the municipal council would serve until next spring.

Malinauskas’s former adviser and current municipal council member Aivaras Kadziauskas was also prosecuted in the case. His appeal was rejected, and he will lose his council seat. The Kaunas Regional Court had previously fined him 42,600 euros.

The case also involved judges from various courts who had handled matters related to Vijūnėlė Manor. The Court of Appeal also convicted its own judge, Viktoras Kažys, of corruption. His powers have been suspended for now.

Malinauskas denied guilt during questioning at the Kaunas Regional Court. He said he had never negotiated with Kadziauskas or anyone else over payments or bribery, and that all the money had been paid for legal services.

Vijūnėlė Manor, which had been declared an illegal structure, was demolished in autumn 2019. Malinauskas has said that it was built for him, although it was officially owned by a businessman who was his friend. The mayor had planned to buy the completed building from him.

Former lawyer Drąsutis Zagreckas helped law enforcement uncover the crimes and is now under state protection. The Court of Appeal’s ruling may still be appealed to Lithuania’s Supreme Court.