Olekas to present Valentinavičius as intelligence watchdog candidate

Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas will present Vytautas Valentinavičius as a candidate for the position of intelligence watchdog during Thursday’s parliamentary session, LRT reports.

Valentinavičius is a public policy expert and a researcher at Kaunas University of Technology. Earlier this year, he was delegated to the State Progress Council. From 2014 to 2024, he worked at the Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office, first as a senior advisor and later as head of the Human Rights Division.

The Intelligence Watchdog Institute was established by the Seimas in December 2021. The law provides for two watchdogs, whose candidates are nominated by the Speaker of the Parliament. The first watchdog, Nortautas Statkus, took office in April 2022.

The intelligence watchdog oversees the legality of intelligence institutions’ activities, examines the justification and legality of their methods, and investigates potential human rights violations. The role also includes monitoring the lawful processing of personal data, reviewing complaints from intelligence officers, and providing recommendations to intelligence institutions. If signs of a possible criminal offence are detected, the watchdog refers the case to a pre-trial investigation body or a prosecutor.