Social Democrats leader calls raids on lawmakers’ offices unjustified

The head of Lithuania’s Social Democratic parliamentary group has criticised raids carried out at the offices of two MPs and the headquarters of the Nemuno Aušra party, calling them unnecessary, LRT reports.

Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT) officers on Thursday searched the offices of MPs Remigijus Žemaitaitis and Daiva Petkevičienė, as well as the Nemuno Aušra party headquarters, as part of a pre-trial investigation into suspected fraud linked to the lawmakers leasing their cars to the party.

Orinta Leiputė, leader of the Social Democrats’ parliamentary group, told LRT.lt she was surprised by the action. “I’m shocked—what kind of reaction is this? Such things shouldn’t happen without reason. We’re waiting for more information from law enforcement,” she said.

The Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office launched the investigation in early March after reviewing public reports alleging the MPs may have committed fraud by leasing their personal vehicles to Nemuno Aušra while continuing to use them themselves. The probe is ongoing, and no formal charges have yet been filed.

Prosecutors stated the raids aim to gather evidence relevant to the case under Article 182(2) of the Criminal Code, which covers fraud. The searches could last several hours to half a day.