Lithuanian MP Gintautas Paluckas suspends party membership, waives immunity amid corruption probe

Lithuanian MP and former Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has suspended his membership in the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP) and will waive his parliamentary immunity, state news agency BNS reported Friday. The move follows prosecutors’ efforts to bring charges against him for alleged illicit enrichment.

The Special Investigations Service (STT) launched a pre-trial investigation last year into potential abuse of office and unlawful asset acquisition by Paluckas, following journalistic reports by Laisvės TV and the investigative outlet Siena. Investigators allege he acquired assets worth over €45,000 through questionable means.

Media investigations previously revealed that Paluckas owned and led Sagerta, a company that received €180,000 in unrepaid loans of unclear origin. Questions were also raised over his 2021 purchase of a Vilnius apartment for €223,000. The STT questioned him as a special witness in January.

LSDP Vice Chair Rasa Budbergytė told ELTA she expects Paluckas to cooperate with the simplified immunity waiver process. “Our faction will likely support creating conditions for investigative institutions to fully examine this matter by relinquishing legal immunity,” she said, calling the prosecutors’ request “no surprise.”

Paluckas resigned as prime minister and LSDP leader in August 2023 after the probes began but remained in parliament and the party. Separately, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and Lithuania’s Financial Crime Investigation Service are investigating a separate case linked to a state-backed loan granted to his former company, Garnis.

Prosecutors have not publicly confirmed whether charges have also been filed against Paluckas’ wife, Ilma, as reported by outlet Delfi earlier this month.