Lithuanian politician fined €6,000 in expense fraud case

A Lithuanian court has fined Vilkaviškis district councillor Daiva Černiuvienė €6,000 for fraud, abuse of office, and document forgery in a case involving falsified expense claims, state broadcaster LRT reports.

The Marijampolė District Court also barred Černiuvienė from holding any elected or appointed public office for three years. The ruling follows an investigation by the Prosecutor General’s Office, which found that between 2019 and 2023, Černiuvienė systematically submitted false fuel expense claims totalling €5,500, falsely linking them to her council duties.

Prosecutors alleged she exploited her position for personal financial gain by forging documents and submitting them to the municipality’s accounting department. The Special Investigations Service conducted the pre-trial investigation, with Kaunas Regional Prosecutor’s Office handling the state prosecution.

The verdict may be appealed to the Kaunas Regional Court within 20 days.