Šiaulių corruption trial hears witness over LED lighting tender

Šiaulių Regional Court has resumed hearings in a corruption case involving Šiauliai Mayor Artūras Visockas and Vilnius businesspeople Danielius Krinickis and Rytis Maliukevičius, LRT reports.

The three defendants are accused of abuse of office and attempted fraud in connection with a 1.78 million euro public tender for LED street lighting. Visockas also faces a charge of exerting influence on Tom Petreikis, director of the municipal company Šiaulių šviesa.

The court completed the questioning of Giedrius Popovas, chairman of Šiaulių šviesa’s public procurement commission. Popovas had been questioned by the Special Investigation Service, or STT, 21 times during the pre-trial investigation. Reading and confirming the interview records took the entire working day.

Popovas testified about the circumstances of the 2020 to 2022 tender, including how its conditions were prepared and later changed. The tender attracted numerous complaints from suppliers and the Lithuanian Business Support Agency over allegedly restricted competition.

According to Popov’s testimony, the initiative to change the technical specifications prepared by the company’s engineer came from Maliukevičius. Maliukevičius was hired as an expert for the procurement commission and was later included in the commission itself.

After STT searches, the tender conditions were changed. Šiaulių šviesa subsequently managed to purchase the LED lights immediately and save 640,000 euros.

Popov had first been questioned by law enforcement in June 2022, when STT officers also searched Šiaulių city municipality and seized evidence at the suspects’ homes.

The defendants deny the charges. Visockas has repeatedly described the accusations publicly as baseless.

During the hearing, the defendants showed little interest in the witness’s testimony. They read news reports and exchanged messages on their phones. Visockas, who did not ask Popov a single question, also used a personal computer. Only Maliukevičius put several questions to the witness.

Petreikis has already testified in the case and confirmed his earlier statements about alleged pressure from the mayor, stress affecting his family and his pregnant wife’s loss of a child.