Ethics commission to decide whether to investigate ambassador Varvuolis

Lithuania’s Chief Official Ethics Commission will review information about Ambassador to the United States Gediminas Varvuolis and decide whether to open an investigation, LRT reported.

The commission confirmed it had received a request from Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys for an independent assessment of whether Varvuolis’s conduct complied with the law on the reconciliation of public and private interests. The request concerns actions and decisions related to the ambassador’s private interests and those of his family members.

The commission said it would examine the information within 20 working days of receiving the minister’s notice and decide whether there were grounds to begin an investigation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said its own review had identified circumstances that could indicate breaches of public and private interest rules and had forwarded its findings to the commission. The ministry’s review also identified possible shortcomings in Varvuolis’s leadership, communication and work organisation, and made recommendations to improve the working environment. It found no signs of psychological violence or harassment and no grounds to begin a disciplinary investigation.

The ministry also said its Internal Audit Department had conducted an independent audit of the embassy’s use of financial resources, state property, staff working hours and other resources. The audit found shortcomings and issued recommendations to address them.

In October, a ministry committee presented its findings, prompting the foreign minister to ask ministry departments to assess the circumstances and propose measures by the end of the month. News website Delfi first reported concerns about the working environment at Lithuania’s embassy in the United States.