VRK removes convicted Druskininkai mayor Malinauskas from office

Ričardas Malinauskas has lost his position as mayor of Druskininkai after Lithuania’s Central Electoral Commission, known as the VRK, terminated his mandate following a final corruption conviction, LRT reported. He will, however, be eligible to stand in the next mayoral elections.

The commission unanimously ruled that Malinauskas’s mandate had ended before its term expired because of the final court judgment.

Malinauskas was convicted of corruption and influence peddling in the case involving Vijūnėlė Manor. The court found him guilty of offering a bribe to influence judges and prevent the manor from being demolished.

“Under the Electoral Code, the VRK had to terminate the mandate within two weeks, and that has been done,” VRK chair Lina Petronienė said.

Malinauskas said on Facebook that the decision was not the end of his political career. “With such support from the people and such a great team, I am moving forward with my head held high. For Druskininkai and with Druskininkai,” he wrote.

He has consistently denied wrongdoing, saying that the 150-volume case contained no evidence of his guilt. The appellate court, however, said the evidence included recordings made by the Special Investigation Service in which the transfer of money to influence a judge was discussed.

After paying the court-imposed fine of 80 euros, Malinauskas will be able to stand in the municipal elections scheduled for March.

Druskininkai council opposition member Antanas Balkė said Malinauskas could return as mayor next year and seek revenge in “even sharper forms”. Some residents expressed support for Malinauskas, while others said they did not want a mayor convicted of corruption-related crimes.

Malinauskas received more than 72 percent of the vote in Druskininkai in the 2023 municipal elections. Residents interviewed by LRT described the decision as unfair, while others said his reputation had been damaged by the conviction.

The council’s Right faction said it was time for Druskininkai to change, arguing that fear prevailed in municipal institutions and that only the former mayor’s opinion had previously been heard. Balkė said the city would find it difficult to move towards democratic governance because support for Malinauskas would not disappear easily.

Druskininkai Municipal Council will elect an interim mayor on Monday.