Lithuanian politician charged with fraud and embezzlement over fake expense claims

A criminal case against Švenčionys district council member Janina Deveikienė has been referred to court, with prosecutors alleging she systematically falsified expense reports to embezzle over €20,000 in public funds, the General Prosecutor’s Office announced Monday.

According to the investigation, Deveikienė—while serving as a council member—submitted falsified advance payment settlements between April 2019 and April 2023. Prosecutors claim she knowingly included misleading information about fuel and vehicle maintenance expenses attributed to unrelated individuals, then used the documents to justify reimbursements for herself.

The Vilniaus Regional Prosecutor’s Office alleges she illegally obtained €20,900 in municipal funds through the scheme. Authorities argue her actions damaged the council’s reputation, undermined public trust, and caused both financial and non-financial harm to the municipality.

The pre-trial investigation was led by the Organized Crime and Corruption Division of the Vilniaus Regional Prosecutor’s Office, with support from the Police Department’s Corruption Investigation Unit. The case has been transferred to the Ignalina branch of Utena District Court for trial.

In a related development, Vilniaus District Court upheld prosecutors’ decisions to terminate pre-trial investigations into three other Švenčionys council members—Viktoras Meškauskas, Vladislavas Jedinskis, and former member Rokas Zabiela—who were suspected of similar offenses. The court dismissed charges against them under a leniency provision after they admitted wrongdoing, expressed remorse, and agreed to repay damages totaling nearly €80,000. As part of their non-prosecution agreements, they were barred from holding public office for five years.

A fourth council member, Antonijus Jundo, previously repaid €31,500 under a separate settlement with prosecutors. His case was referred to the Chief Official Ethics Commission for review.