Opposition urges probe into PM’s wife’s job at Raudondvaris manor

Opposition politicians have called for an investigation into the employment of Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius’s wife, Aistė Sinkevičienė, at Kaunas District Municipality and its subordinate institution, Raudondvaris Manor, LRT reported.

Conservative MP Mindaugas Lingė said he had not ruled out referring the matter to the Chief Official Ethics Commission. He said the circumstances should be assessed in detail, including who made the hiring decisions and whether they complied with the law.

Lingė described the reported details as reflecting what he called the Social Democratic Party’s way of operating, alleging that the party favoured its own members in employment and appointments. He said that even if the actions complied with legal exceptions, they still raised moral questions.

Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, leader of the Liberal Movement, said she hoped the information published in the LRT investigation would be examined further rather than remain only in headlines.

She said the case raised questions about the Social Democrats’ attitude towards women and alleged that the employment position at the manor appeared to be fictitious. Čmilytė-Nielsen also said the Seimas Anti-Corruption Commission had already begun taking action and that law enforcement appeared to have grounds to investigate.

Remigijus Žemaitaitis, leader of the opposition Nemunas Dawn party, said law enforcement should launch a pre-trial investigation into alleged fictitious employment.

“If a person did not come to work or visit the workplace, it means that money was appropriated,” Žemaitaitis told BNS. He said the people involved should be questioned and, if remote work was claimed, computers should be seized for examination.

However, Žemaitaitis said he did not intend to submit a formal request to the prosecutor’s office. He also predicted that further negative information could emerge about Sinkevičius and his previous workplaces, and said the Social Democrats might have to seek a fourth prime minister during the current term.

Žemaitaitis said the issue could also affect President Gitanas Nausėda’s reputation because he had assumed responsibility for appointing Sinkevičius as prime minister.