2024-04-18 12:08:32
As announced by the prosecutor’s office, according to the investigation conducted by the Klaipėda district prosecutor’s office, members of the Kretinga district municipal council S. Baltuonis, J. Mažeika, R. Jablonskis held these positions from 2019. in April until April 2023 and for this period received compensations from the municipality in the amount of 13,320 euros, 9,719 euros and 15,044 euros respectively for the incurred transport costs. When explaining the reasonableness of these incurred expenses, data was obtained that all three former council members requested reimbursement of fuel expenses for a higher mileage than they could have actually driven during the evaluation period with receipts submitted to the municipality.
According to the prosecutor’s office, since the aforementioned former members of the council had a legal basis to receive compensation for fuel for the expenses incurred, their requests for compensation do not confirm the fact that they could have incurred exactly that amount of expenses.
The prosecutors of the Public Interest Protection Department of the Klaipėda District Prosecutor’s Office submitted civil lawsuits, in which the amount to be recovered was determined by subtracting the amount that the former council members could not drive according to the mileage data from the compensated amount for fuel. Therefore, the prosecutors, applying to the Kretinga Chamber of the Plungė district court, request that S. Baltuonis be awarded 10,577 euros, J. Mažeika – 6,472 euros, and R. Jablonskis – 13,757 euros in favor of the Kretinga district municipality.
The Prosecutor’s Office reminds that in investigations of the use of municipal funds, public interest protection prosecutors assess whether the sums of money have been paid to the council member legally, and if they have found violations of legal acts, they apply to the court for the return of specific amounts to the budget in the civil process. Prosecutors of the Public Interest Protection Departments of the General Prosecutor’s Office, Vilnius, Klaipėda, Panevėžys and Šiauliai District Prosecutors’ Offices have currently submitted 21 civil lawsuits out of 250,000 to district courts. for the amount of euros.
It should also be noted that currently the council members have voluntarily paid more than 423 thousand to the country’s municipalities. euros to municipal budgets. Another 12 thousand EUR funds were returned to the country’s municipalities according to the peace agreements concluded and approved by the court.
Public interest defense investigations are currently being conducted regarding the return of funds to the cities of Vilnius, Šiauliai, Panevėžys and the districts of Jonava, Lazdijai, Prienai, Šilutė, Varėna, Ukmergė, Ignalina, Pasvali, Tauragė, Kretinga, Mažeikiai, Radviliškis, Telšiai, Joniškii, Akmenė and Pagėgiai. , Marijampole, Neringa municipal budgets.
ELTA reminds that in the spring, after publicist Andriis Tapinas initiated an investigation into the absorption of municipal politicians’ funds by “Skaidrina” and as a result a scandal arose regarding the possible misuse of office funds by politicians, a number of municipalities came under the scrutiny of law enforcement.
2024-04-18 12:08:32