Election commission removes mandates from politicians convicted in expense scandal

Lithuania’s Central Electoral Commission (VRK) has terminated the mandates of three municipal councillors who received final decisions in the so-called “cheque” expense scandal, LRT reported Thursday. Their seats will be taken by other politicians.

The commission removed the mandates of Alytus District Council member Danielius Jakubavičius and Joniškis District Council member Vilija Bartašienė, both elected from the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats list, as well as Šilutė District Council member Edgaras Padimanskas, who was elected from the Democratic Union “For Lithuania” list.

The vacant seats will go to the first candidates on the respective party lists who did not initially receive council mandates. Antanas Veikalas will join the Joniškis District Council, Petras Kulvietis will join the Šilutė District Council and Gintautas Radžiukynas will join the Alytus District Council.

Jakubavičius was sentenced to a 10,000-euro fine and barred from being elected or appointed to public or municipal positions for three years. The court also ordered him to pay 8,400 euros to the Alytus District Municipality.

According to the case file, Jakubavičius systematically falsified documents between 2019 and 2023 to acquire 8,402 euros in property belonging to the Alytus District Municipal Administration. The money was used to buy fuel and equipment at petrol stations, while instalments for mobile phones purchased for personal use were also included in his expense reports. Jakubavičius denied the charges, saying he had incurred substantial expenses as an active politician.

The Šiauliai District Court discontinued the pretrial investigation against Bartašienė. She was exempted from criminal liability under surety for abuse of office, misappropriation of property and the forgery or use of forged documents. She was placed under a one-year surety period and barred from holding elected or appointed positions in state or municipal institutions, their bodies, companies or non-governmental organisations for three years. She was also ordered to pay 1,000 euros to the Fund for Victims of Crime.

Investigators said Bartašienė submitted advance expense reports between 2019 and 2023 containing false information about fuel costs, causing 637 euros in damage to the Joniškis District Municipal Administration. She fully admitted guilt and repaid the damage.

In July, the Lithuanian Court of Appeal rejected Padimanskas’s appeal against his exemption from criminal liability under surety for abuse of office, fraud and the forgery or use of forged documents. He had asked the court to replace a three-year ban on holding elected or appointed positions with a payment to the Fund for Victims of Crime. The court upheld the three-year ban.