Court hears final statements in Druskininkai mayor’s corruption case

In Lithuania’s Court of Appeal, the corruption case involving Druskininkai Mayor Ričardas Malinauskas reached a key moment on Monday as he delivered his final statement. The case centres on allegations of bribery, influence peddling and illicit enrichment.

Malinauskas, who was convicted in 2025 of bribery related to the so-called Vijūnėlė estate dispute, claimed during his statement that he had been targeted by powerful business figures and journalists. He described how businessman Valdas Trinkūnas allegedly pressured him through intermediaries, including former advisor Aivaras Kadziauskas, who was also convicted in the case.

“They wanted to destroy me as a person,” Malinauskas told the court, alleging a coordinated campaign involving media attacks and legal harassment.

Among the other defendants in the case, several had previously delivered brief final statements, including Ernestas Sakalauskas and Romutis Stočkūnas, both of whom denied involvement in bribery and requested acquittal.

The case stems from allegations that Malinauskas used intermediaries to influence a civil court ruling to prevent the demolition of the Vijūnėlė estate in Druskininkai. The estate had been at the centre of a long-running legal dispute.

In 2025, the Kaunas Regional Court found Malinauskas guilty of bribery and imposed a €60,000 fine. Former Supreme Court of Lithuania judge Egidijus Laužikas, accused of accepting a bribe to block the demolition, was fined €10,400 and ordered to forfeit €10,000 received as a bribe. Former advisor Kadziauskas was fined €42,600, while other officials received fines ranging from €6,900 to €47,000. Two individuals, Viktor Kažys and Laimonas Vaškevičius, were acquitted.

The case involves 16 individuals and one company, “VVM Servis.”