Radviliškis politician ordered to pay €8,000 fine over misappropriated service iPhone

A Lithuanian appeals court has upheld a guilty verdict against Jolanta Margaitienė, a former long-serving director of the Radviliškis District Municipality administration, for abuse of office, document forgery, and misappropriation of property, LRT.lt reports.

The court rejected appeals from Margaitienė, the prosecutor, and other parties, leaving in force a December 2025 ruling by the Šiauliai Regional Court. The 51-year-old must pay an €8,000 fine and is barred from holding managerial positions in state or municipal institutions for three years.

Additionally, Margaitienė, now a Radviliškis District Council member, must reimburse over €1,000 for a misappropriated service iPhone 13 Pro. The phone, purchased for her during her tenure as director, was written off as irreparably damaged. After losing local elections, she took the device with her. An investigation later confirmed the phone was functional on one telecom network.

Margaitienė denied wrongdoing, calling the case politically motivated. A key witness, a municipality employee, admitted to forging a defect report for the phone and was granted amnesty in exchange for cooperation.

The ruling also strips Margaitienė of her council mandate, as Lithuanian election law terminates a council member’s authority upon a guilty verdict taking effect. The Central Electoral Commission will formalise the decision once it receives court confirmation.