Malinauskas pays €60,000 fine after corruption conviction

Former Druskininkai mayor Ričardas Malinauskas paid the €60,000 fine imposed after his corruption conviction on Thursday, LRT reported, citing Vija Kudzienė, communications aide to the chair of the Kaunas Regional Court.

Malinauskas must also pay €30,000, an amount treated in the verdict as the value of confiscated property. If he does not pay voluntarily, the money may be recovered from his bank accounts and land plots. The court has extended temporary restrictions on his ownership rights to the property.

On Thursday, Lithuania’s Central Electoral Commission ended Malinauskas’ term as mayor before its scheduled expiry, following the final guilty verdict by the Lithuanian Court of Appeal. Since less than a year remains until the next municipal elections, no by-election will be held in Druskininkai.

The Druskininkai district municipal council is expected to decide on Monday who will serve as interim mayor until next spring.

The commission also ended the mandate of Druskininkai municipal council member Aivaras Kadziauskas, who was convicted in the same case and fined €42,600. Laura Gardziulevičienė is expected to take his seat.

Malinauskas was found guilty of influence peddling in the Vijūnėlė Manor case. He has never admitted guilt and said after the final verdict that he did not respect the court’s decision.

At trial, Malinauskas said he had never negotiated with Kadziauskas or anyone else to give money or bribe someone, maintaining that all payments were for legal services. However, Court of Appeal judges said the two men were reasonably convicted and that secret recordings made by the Special Investigation Service supported the case, including discussions about transferring money in exchange for influence over a judge.