Joniškio council member cleared of criminal charges in expense fraud case

A district court in Lithuania has cleared Joniškio municipal council member Vidutė Petraitienė of criminal liability in the so-called “čekiukų” (receipts) scandal but barred her from holding public office for three years, BNS reports.

The Šiauliai District Court upheld a prosecutor’s decision to terminate the pre-trial investigation and drop criminal charges against Petraitienė, according to a Thursday statement from the Prosecutor General’s Office. The ruling may be appealed within seven days.

Petraitienė was accused of falsifying expense reimbursement documents between 2019 and 2023, submitting false claims for fuel costs she did not incur, and unlawfully obtaining municipal funds. Investigators found she caused €5,419 in financial damage to Joniškio district administration, along with significant reputational harm due to eroded public trust in the institution.

While cleared of criminal penalties, Petraitienė must pay €1,000 into a victims’ compensation fund and is prohibited from being elected or appointed to any state, municipal, or non-governmental position for three years. The court cited her admission of guilt, remorse, financial restitution, lack of prior convictions, and expected future compliance with the law as grounds for the decision.

The case is part of a broader “čekiukų” scandal involving multiple Lithuanian officials accused of submitting fraudulent expense claims.