Ethics commission declines Benkunskas conflict-of-interest probe

Lithuania’s Chief Official Ethics Commission will not investigate Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas over the city’s decision to lease premises to the Vilnius Club, LRT reported, citing BNS.

The commission said Benkunskas’s position as the club’s president stems from his status as mayor. It concluded that this did not constitute a private interest or create a conflict of interest when decisions concerning the club were made.

“The mayor’s duties at the Vilnius Club are honorary and representative. He does not participate in the legal entity’s management or activities,” said Virginija Aleksejūnė, deputy chair of the commission.

The commission was asked in August by Povilas Pinelis, a Social Democratic member of Vilnius City Council, to assess whether the mayor had confused public and private interests.

It also decided not to investigate the ethics of council member Remigijus Šimašius. The commission said documents showed that Šimašius had declared his withdrawal before the issue was considered, left the room and took no further part in the procedure.

Unlike Benkunskas, Šimašius is a member of the Vilnius Club as a private individual, Aleksejūnė said. The commission will collect additional information about council member Antanas Juozas Zabulis, who is also a club member and may have participated in considering the issue, before deciding whether to open an investigation.

In June, Vilnius City Council was presented with a proposal to lease 30 square metres of premises on Trakų Street to the Vilnius Club without a tender, for 390 euros per month. Benkunskas is president of the public institution.

Ben kunskas recused himself when the issue was considered, as did former Vilnius mayor Šimašius, who is a club member. The municipal administration said the premises were an emergency exit in the same building where the club operates and that current legislation allows them to be leased without a tender.

The proposal was approved by 35 council members. One voted against it and six abstained.

Ben kunskas previously said he believed “common sense” would prevail in the matter because there was no conflict of interest. He said his position at the club was connected to his role as Vilnius mayor and was required by the Vilnius Club’s internal rules, rather than being his personal choice.