Court upholds electronic monitoring for Skvernelis in corruption case

A Lithuanian court has rejected an appeal by MP Saulius Skvernelis against the use of intensive supervision, including electronic monitoring, as a precautionary measure in a high-profile corruption case, LRT.lt reports.

Kaunas Regional Court ruled that the measure—considered the second most severe precautionary tool after detention—was proportionate. The decision upholds an earlier ruling by Vilnius District Court. Violating the terms of intensive supervision could result in detention.

Skvernelis, a former Seimas speaker, has called the monitoring “psychological pressure” and argued it hinders his parliamentary duties. He claims the device loses signal inside the Seimas building, forcing him outside to restore connectivity, and prevents his participation in closed sessions where electronic devices are prohibited—despite his clearance to access classified information.

The MP admitted to a “formal” violation but did not specify details. His appeal was initially filed with Vilnius Regional Court, but both the prosecutor and Skvernelis’ lawyer requested the recusal of Judge Ugnė Gailiūnienė, who had previously worked in the Legal Department of the Ministry of the Interior while Skvernelis served as interior minister. The case was then transferred to Judge Aurelijus Rauckis in Kaunas.

Skvernelis faces bribery charges, accused of receiving €51,000 in cash via his advisor Agne Silickienė between January and November 2025. Prosecutors allege the payments, ranging from €5,000 to €10,000 monthly, were linked to favorable decisions for interested parties. Silickienė also worked at the State Plant Service, headed by Jurijus Kornijenko, who is similarly charged with bribery.

The case is part of a broader investigation into a suspected criminal group within the State Plant Service, which allegedly demanded and received bribes from companies transporting plants and plant products in exchange for issuing phytosanitary certificates. The total bribes may have reached €1.112 million. In April, prosecutors charged 16 individuals, including organized crime figure Marijanas Taraškevičius and Vitalija Vonžutaitė, linked to the Labour Party case.

Prosecutors claim Skvernelis knew the payments were derived from illegal activities and that he used his position to influence institutional decisions.