Court convicts Justas Pankauskas in municipal expenses case

A Lithuanian court has convicted Central Electoral Commission member Justas Pankauskas of embezzlement, abuse of office and document forgery in a case involving municipal expense claims, LRT reported. The Alytus District Court fined him 4,000 euros and barred him from elected and appointed public posts for three years once the judgment takes effect.

The court found that Pankauskas, a former member of the Lazdijai district municipal council, falsified expense reports and misappropriated 2,516.41 euros in public funds. The judgment is not final and may be appealed.

While serving as a council member from April 2019 to May 2021, Pankauskas submitted reports between July 2019 and June 2021 that falsely listed fuel costs as expenses related to his council duties. He gave the documents to the municipal administration’s accounting office to substantiate advance payments for council work. The court found that the expenses were not eligible for reimbursement.

The court said Pankauskas abused his position and used the falsified documents to take funds entrusted to him by the municipal administration. It said his conduct undermined trust in public institutions and caused significant non-pecuniary damage to the municipality and the state.

Pankauskas admitted the charges in court, said he regretted his actions and stated that he had repaid the amount in question. He asked to be released from criminal liability under suretyship, but the court rejected the request. It said his earlier statements had not admitted guilt and that his later testimony was not fully open. The court concluded that his admission was intended to improve his legal position rather than reflect genuine remorse.

The judgment may be appealed to the Kaunas Regional Court within 20 days.