Theft case of over €65,000 from a parish rectory not opened in court

A Lithuanian court has postponed the start of a trial involving the theft of over €65,000 from a parish rectory due to the absence of a defence lawyer for the accused, LRT reports.

The Panevėžys District Court was scheduled to begin hearing the case against 24-year-old Marius Balčiūnas, a resident of Panevėžys District, who is accused of stealing more than €65,000 and over $2,600 from the Smilgiai St. George Parish rectory. The funds belonged to both the parish and its priest.

Irma Gritėnienė, assistant to the court’s chairperson for media and public relations, stated that the hearing was delayed because the defendant lacks legal representation. “A request for a defence lawyer will be made, and the next hearing is set for July 9,” she said.

The pre-trial investigation began in December of last year after a priest from a parish in the Panevėžys District reported the theft of a large sum of money, which had been kept in drawers and an unlocked safe. The suspect, a young man who occasionally helped with household chores, was detained the same day and charged with the theft of high-value property.

During a search of the suspect’s home and the home of a relative, authorities recovered most of the stolen money, except for the US dollars. It was later established that Balčiūnas had exchanged the dollars for euros at a currency exchange shortly after the theft and deposited the funds into his bank account. He has fully admitted his guilt.

Under Lithuanian law, the theft of high-value property can be punishable by a fine or imprisonment of up to eight years.