Charges filed against council members in Marijampolė and Trakai over expense fraud

The Lithuanian Prosecutor’s Office and the Special Investigation Service (STT) have announced formal charges against several municipal council members in connection with the ongoing “čekiukų” (expense fraud) investigation.

According to a statement, charges have been brought against Alvydas Zdanytė, a former member of the Marijampolė Municipal Council, for alleged abuse of office, fraud, and document forgery. Between 2019 and 2021, Zdanytė is suspected of submitting false expense reports for fuel, causing an estimated €985 in financial damage to the municipality.

In Trakai, charges were filed against council members Jurgita Čirienė, Vygantas Lenkauskas, and Šarūnas Ūsas. Čirienė is accused of falsifying advance payment reports for fuel expenses between 2020 and 2023, allegedly causing €2,067 in damages. Lenkauskas faces similar allegations, with suspected damages amounting to €5,400 over the same period. Ūsas is charged with submitting false reports for fuel and communication services, resulting in an estimated €1,859 in losses.

Additionally, former Radviliškis Municipal Council member Vida Janulaitienė has been charged with abuse of office, fraud, and document forgery. She is suspected of submitting false expense reports for fuel between 2019 and 2022, causing €2,340 in damages.

The investigation into Tomo Budrikas, a former Šilutė Municipal Council member, has been closed after authorities determined no criminal activity had occurred. However, a civil court ordered Budrikas to repay €574 in unjustly received funds to the Šilutė municipality.

The “čekiukų” scandal emerged following an investigation initiated by activist Andrius Tapinas into the potential misuse of public funds by local politicians.