Ethics and election commission data on Žemaitaitis added to car rental investigation

Data from Lithuania’s State Ethics Service (VTEK) and Central Electoral Commission (VRK) regarding Remigijus Žemaitaitis, leader of the political party Nemuno Aušra, has been incorporated into a pre-trial investigation into alleged illegal car rental practices, the Prosecutor General’s Office confirmed Thursday.

“The VTEK materials have been attached and are being evaluated in the pre-trial investigation into potentially unlawful car rentals,” Elena Martinonienė, head of the Prosecutor General’s Office Communications Division, told the LRT news service.

She added that findings from the VRK—which had examined car rental arrangements involving Žemaitaitis and fellow Nemuno Aušra member Daiva Petkevičienė—were also included in the probe.

The investigation follows raids conducted Thursday by the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT) at the Seimas offices of Žemaitaitis and Petkevičienė, as well as at the Nemuno Aušra party headquarters and Žemaitaitis’s private residence in Vilnius. Authorities stated the searches were part of a pre-trial inquiry into lawmakers’ car rental agreements with their party.

The probe was launched in early March after reviewing information provided in public complaints. No formal charges have been filed at this stage.

In April, VTEK ruled that Žemaitaitis had committed a “gross violation” of the Law on Coordination of Public and Private Interests by renting his personal vehicle to Nemuno Aušra without recusing himself from related decisions or declaring the contract in a timely manner. The commission forwarded its findings to prosecutors.

Separately, the VRK determined in March that Nemuno Aušra had breached financial reporting rules by transferring nearly €50,000 to Žemaitaitis and Petkevičienė for car rentals, misusing state budget funds and submitting false data in financial statements. The violations were classified as severe, prompting the VRK to withhold a €240,000 six-month subsidy from the party and order the two lawmakers to repay €26,776 and €15,349, respectively. Nemuno Aušra, Žemaitaitis, and Petkevičienė have appealed the decision in the Supreme Administrative Court.

The controversy stems from a January 2024 car rental agreement—worth €31,500 and signed by Žemaitaitis as both vendor and party leader—that was only disclosed publicly in late January. The contract was first reported by the civic initiative Viešpirkiai in early February.