Malinauskas appeals corruption conviction to Lithuania’s top court

Former Druskininkai mayor Ričardas Malinauskas has asked Lithuania’s Supreme Court to send his corruption case back to an appeals court, LRT reports.

His lawyer’s cassation appeal asks the Supreme Court to overturn the part of the appeals court ruling that rejected Malinauskas’s appeal and return the case for a new hearing. The Supreme Court has yet to decide whether to accept the appeal.

In September, the Lithuanian Court of Appeal upheld Malinauskas’s conviction in the corruption case involving the Vijūnėlė mansion. He was found guilty of influence peddling and fined 60,000 euros. A further 30,000 euros is to be recovered from him.

After the ruling became final, Malinauskas could no longer serve as Druskininkai mayor. The Central Electoral Commission ended his mandate, and the municipal council assigned acting mayor duties to Violeta Grigorienė.

The case also involved Malinauskas’s former adviser and current municipal council member Aivaras Kadziauskas, as well as judges who had handled matters related to the mansion. The building, which was declared illegal, was demolished in autumn 2019. Malinauskas has said it was built for him, although it was officially owned by a businessman friend from whom he planned to buy it once construction was complete.