Former Biržai district council member admits guilt in expense fraud case, repays nearly €600

A former member of the Biržai district municipal council has admitted wrongdoing in a so-called “receipts” (čekiukų) expense fraud case and repaid nearly €600 to the municipality, Panevėžys regional court announced Thursday.

Mantas Visockas, who served on the council during the previous term, acknowledged the violation and returned €597 after prosecutors raised concerns over unclear expense reports for vehicle repairs. Investigators found that while Visockas managed several vehicles, documentation failed to specify whether the repairs were for cars used in his official duties.

“The defendant requested time to respond to the claim, and subsequently confirmed his error and repaid the full amount,” said Judge Andrius Urbonas of Biržai district court. The court terminated the civil case after the municipality recovered the funds in full. The ruling remains subject to appeal.

The case is part of a broader series of investigations into municipal expense fraud across Lithuania. Earlier this week, Klaipėda regional prosecutor’s office closed pre-trial investigations into three other council members from Pagėgiai, Palanga, and Tauragė districts.

In Pagėgiai, council member Gražina Jankauskienė settled her case by repaying €700 in improperly claimed allowances for mobile equipment, communications, and fuel. Prosecutors had accused her of misappropriation, abuse of office, and document forgery.

Investigations into Palanga council members Dainius Želvys and former member Saulius Simė were dropped due to insufficient evidence. Želvys had faced allegations of falsifying fuel expense reports totaling over €1,400 between 2019–2023, while Simė was suspected of submitting false claims amounting to more than €500 during 2019–2021.

In Tauragė, council member Rūta Grigalienė avoided criminal liability after admitting to fraudulently obtaining over €3,200 through false expense reports. The court granted her a one-year suspended sentence and ordered a €2,600 payment to the Crime Victims’ Compensation Fund.