Charges filed against three female politicians from Birštonas and Kalvarija in “Čekiukai” case

The Special Investigation Service (STT) announced on Tuesday that it has filed charges of abuse of office, fraud, and document forgery against three municipal council members: Kristina Justinavičienė and Valė Petkevičienė from Birštonas, and Vilija Babeckienė from Kalvarija, LRT reports.

A decision has also been made regarding the actions of Jurgita Kurauskienė, a council member of Lazdijai District Municipality.

Justinavičienė, who served as a Birštonas council member from 2019 to 2021, is suspected of abusing her official position by submitting expense reports for fuel reimbursements that allegedly contained false information. The damage caused to the Birštonas District Municipality administration is estimated at €2,500.

Petkevičienė, also a Birštonas council member during the same period, faces similar allegations for submitting expense reports with false data on fuel and television service costs, causing an estimated €1,800 in damages.

Babeckienė, a Kalvarija council member from 2019 to 2023, is suspected of abusing her position by submitting expense reports with false fuel cost information, resulting in an estimated €4,600 in damages to the Kalvarija Municipality administration.

In a separate ruling, the Alytus District Court found Kurauskienė guilty of abuse of office, embezzlement, document forgery, and misuse of documents. Between 2019 and 2023, while serving as a Lazdijai District Municipality council member, she allegedly falsified expense reports, submitting false data about fuel purchases supposedly related to her council activities. During the pre-trial investigation, it was established that Kurauskienė embezzled nearly €5,300 in public funds belonging to the Lazdijai District Municipality administration.

The court convicted Kurauskienė but exempted her from criminal liability under amnesty, as she expressed remorse and reimbursed the financial damage to the Lazdijai District Municipality administration.