Four former Šalčininkai council members avoid criminal liability

Four former members of the Šalčininkai District Municipal Council have been released from criminal liability under a surety arrangement over the alleged misuse of municipal funds, LRT reported. They are barred for three years from being elected or appointed to certain public-sector positions.

The decisions followed a pre-trial investigation into suspected fraud and abuse of office during the council’s 2019–2023 term, the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Special Investigation Service said on Tuesday.

Investigators found that Tadeušas Rudzis, Gerardas Stonkus, Stanislavas Vencius and Stasys Radzevičius had fraudulently acquired property for their own benefit and abused their positions to obtain financial gain. The four returned a total of 3,800 euros to the municipality during the investigation.

Pre-trial investigation judges at Vilnius City District Court released all four from criminal liability under suretyship. The ban on holding elected or appointed positions applies to state and municipal institutions, their agencies and companies.

The investigation examined whether council members had abused their positions to obtain municipal funds through a monthly 70-euro allowance for expenses related to their council duties. A review of documents submitted by other members of the same council term found no indications of criminal activity, and that part of the investigation was closed.

Prosecutors said they found no cases in which forged documents had been knowingly used to support expense claims. They also identified only minor breaches of the council’s rules of procedure, which they said were not sufficient grounds for criminal liability. The Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office is continuing to examine whether the expense payments were lawful and justified.