Seimas proposes Jolanta Bernotaitė as new head of ethics commission

Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas has proposed Jolanta Bernotaitė as the new chair of the Chief Official Ethics Commission (VTEK), according to a report by LRT.

Bernotaitė, who began her term as a VTEK member on Monday, is expected to be formally submitted to the Seimas for approval on Tuesday. The Seimas had already approved her appointment as a commission member in late May.

She replaces Gediminas Sakalauskas, whose term ended in June. The five-member commission oversees the implementation of laws on the coordination of public and private interests, lobbying activities, and the state politicians’ code of conduct. It also investigates complaints of potential conflicts of interest.

Bernotaitė holds a law degree from Vilnius University. Most recently, she served as head of the Corruption Prevention and Internal Investigations Division at the Ministry of Justice. From 2019 to 2022, she worked as a senior specialist at the Special Investigation Service’s Analytical Anti-Corruption Intelligence Board.

Her previous roles include assistant lawyer at the law firm Glimstedt, legal advisor at the Government Chancellery’s Law Department, and director of the Curonian Spit National Park from 2008 to 2009. She has also worked at the AIDS Centre, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, the Ministry of Environment, the Centre of Registers, and the company Vilsota.