Lithuanian prosecutor to send Pankauskas “receipts” corruption case to court

The Kaunas Regional Prosecutor’s Office will transfer the criminal case against Justas Pankauskas, a member of Lithuania’s Central Electoral Commission and a government vice-chancellor, to court for trial, LRT reports.

Prosecutor Darius Valkavičius, overseeing the investigation, confirmed that the indictment is being finalised. “The accusatory document is being drafted. Participants in the case have already been given the opportunity to review the case materials,” he told the ELTA news agency.

Pankauskas faces allegations of asset misappropriation, document forgery, and abuse of office. Investigators claim that while serving as a councillor in Lazdijai District Municipality between 2019 and 2021, he submitted expense reimbursement claims containing false information about fuel costs, allegedly causing €2,500 in damages to the municipality.

The case stems from a 2023 investigation by journalist Andrius Tapinas, who revealed that Pankauskas had submitted 24 receipts paid with different cards over 18 months while claiming fuel expenses—despite reportedly refuelling almost exclusively in Vilnius, far from his district. Following the exposé, Pankauskas repaid €927 to the municipal budget.

Appointed as the government’s first vice-chancellor in December 2024 under then-Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, Pankauskas also holds the position of executive secretary for the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party. The pre-trial investigation was conducted by the Special Investigations Service.