Court cancels precautionary measure for Goda Mankutė

Vilnius City District Court has cancelled the written undertaking not to leave imposed on Goda Mankutė, who is on trial with racing driver Benediktas Vanagas in a credit fraud case, LRT reported. The decision followed Mankutė’s request.

The precautionary measure was imposed on June 20, 2024, by Darius Karčinskas, a European delegated prosecutor at the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. The decision can be appealed to the Vilnius Regional Court.

The case involves Mankutė, director of Gerdista, Vanagas and the public institution National Automobile Club, which he heads. The trial is nearing its conclusion, with closing arguments expected to begin at a hearing next week.

Prosecutors accuse Vanagas and Mankutė of fraudulently obtaining 154,000 euros in European Union support. According to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, the EU-funded project was intended to provide mobile car repair and maintenance services in rural areas, but the funds were actually used for private purposes, including participation in the Dakar Rally.

Vanagas’s public institution allegedly obtained the EU support through Gerdista. The 154,000 euros came from an EU fund under Lithuania’s 2014 to 2020 Rural Development Programme. The funds were returned during the pre-trial investigation conducted by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office together with the Financial Crime Investigation Service.