Prosecutors seek more than €117,000 from nine Lithuanian councillors

Lithuanian prosecutors are seeking more than €117,000 from nine current and former municipal councillors over expenses they say may not have been related to council work, LRT reported.

The civil claims concern members of the councils of Prienai, Alytus and Lazdijai districts and Marijampolė. The largest amount, more than €25,100, is sought from current Alytus district councillor Gintautas Radžiukynas.

Prosecutors are seeking €12,300 from former Lazdijai district councillor Artūras Kašalynas. The claims against Prienai district councillors Rita Keturakienė, Vaidas Kupstas and Henrikas Radvilavičius are €15,600, €10,100 and €10,000, respectively. A further €15,800 is sought from former Prienai district councillor Algirdas Kederis.

The claims against Marijampolė councillors Irena Lunskienė, Artūras Visockis and Alvydas Zdanis are €8,000, €10,800 and €9,900, respectively.

According to prosecutors, councillors serving in the 2019–2023 term received reimbursements for fuel, vehicle repairs, communications and other goods and services that may not have been connected to their duties.

As of September 30, prosecutors from the General Prosecutor’s Office and regional offices had filed 252 civil claims against councillors, seeking a total of more than €2.563 million. Councillors had voluntarily repaid more than €2.402 million to municipal budgets.

Visockis is also the subject of a separate civil claim seeking €10,852 over expenses prosecutors consider unjustified. The prosecution says he received more than €16,250 in reimbursements from Marijampolė’s budget during the 2019–2023 term for costs including transport, office supplies, car repairs, parts and insurance.

An audit found instances in which fuel purchases were paid for with bank cards belonging to other people, and fuel was bought in large quantities several times in one day. After reviewing the investigation materials, Visockis voluntarily repaid €5,181 for fuel paid for with other cards, car parts and vehicle repair services.

Visockis currently works as an adviser to Marijampolė’s acting mayor, Valdas Tumelis. In a separate criminal case concerning council expense claims, the Kaunas Regional Court sentenced him in December last year to a €5,000 fine and barred him from being elected or appointed to public office for three years. The verdict was appealed and is not final.

Tags: Lithuania, local government, public funds