Lithuanian anti-corruption agency probes council member’s Palanga apartment purchase

The Lithuanian Special Investigation Service (STT) has launched an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding a Palanga apartment purchase by Marija Gudonienė, a member of Širvintos District Municipal Council and mother of the district’s mayor, LRT reports.

The probe follows a journalistic investigation by news portal Delfi, which suggested Gudonienė acquired the property at a price significantly below market value. The seller was Vilmantas Guobys, owner of construction firm Vilmstata, which had previously won public tenders in Širvintos worth millions.

STT confirmed on Tuesday it had begun “verifying information” after reviewing the findings published by Delfi journalists Tomas Janonis and Skirmantas Malinauskas. If evidence of potential criminal activity is uncovered, prosecutors will decide whether to open a pre-trial investigation under Lithuania’s Criminal Procedure Code.

Conservative MP Mindaugas Lingė, who had previously referred the case to both the STT and the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT), stated on social media: “If this appears to be a corrupt scheme—and it very likely is—only law enforcement can confirm it.”

According to Delfi, Gudonienė signed a purchase agreement in January 2024 for a 97-square-meter apartment in Palanga’s Kunigiškės district, paying €80,000—approximately €824 per square meter. Local real estate listings indicate average prices in the area are substantially higher. The apartment’s developers included Guobys, his wife, and a third individual.

Public procurement records cited by Lingė show Vilmstata initially won a €2.4 million contract from Širvintos municipality, with later amendments increasing the total value to €4.6 million.