The portal tv3.lt aims to review the weak points of all presidential candidates, so that voters can choose by being informed not only about the good qualities of the politicians, but also after evaluating their weaknesses. We called the series of articles “Sins of the Candidates”, and whether these sins are an obstacle to the office of the president will be decided by the voters of Lithuania.
More recently, the Labor Party has been rocked by scandal. March 26 The headquarters of “Darbeia” in Vilnius were visited by the officers of the Financial Crimes Investigation Service (FNTT) due to the investigation conducted by the European Prosecutor’s Office, possibly related to the activities of the founder of the party, Viktor Uspaskich, in the European Parliament. It turned out that V. Uspaskich was possibly embezzling money for non-existent advisors and was able to embezzle about half a million euros.
When it was heard that Viktors Fyodorovs, the elder of the Labor faction in the Seimas, was considering “letting go” of the party, A. Mazuronis admitted that there are more people thinking about it.
“We are tired of explaining about problems created by other people, in which we were not involved, nor are we aware of and only heard about two days ago,” he said.
A. Mazuronis said that stories about the Labor Party bother him too.
“I’m exhausted. From one “sh” to another “sh” in which I was not even a part. And I’m tired myself, I also feel sorry for the children who go to school and have to explain themselves. (…) It’s not just me or only Fyodorov who is tired. In departments, people are demotivated, tired, they hear comments from neighbors, colleagues, acquaintances, people living in the stairwell, lovers. Not everyone likes that,” said the party chairman.
Andrius Mazuronis cut: either Viktoras Uspaskichs or he
After law enforcement carried out procedural actions at the headquarters of the Labor Party, A. Mazuronis stated that he intends to suggest to the “workers” to withdraw from the EP elections. However, A. Mazuronis did not intend to withdraw from the presidential election.
He assured that the FNTT carried out procedural steps regarding the investigation, in which the Labor Party itself does not figure and which is not related to any of the current leadership of the party or other persons currently holding positions in the party.
However, he did not rule out that due to this situation, it may be necessary to change the leaders of the list of the European Parliament or the chairman of the party.
V. Uspaskich, who was supposed to lead the EP election list, suspended his membership in the party.
The Labor Party has repeatedly found itself in the sights of law enforcement. In the so-called “black bookkeeping” case, the party has been accused of fraudulent accounting. At that time, the leader of the party V. Uspaskichas and the currently imprisoned MP Vytautas Gapšys and other persons were sentenced to fines.
“Skaidrinam” data: Andrius Mazuronis purchased three computers, allocated about 9 thousand to technicians during his tenure. euros
Andrias Tapinas’ initiative “Skaidrinam”, which revealed the extent of the embezzlement of parliamentary funds, did not go unnoticed by A. Mazuronis either. In February, it was made public that the Chairman of the Labor Party purchased an Apple Macbook Pro 16 computer, worth 2.7 thousand, using funds for parliamentary activities. euros. The latter computer was purchased by the politician from Daniel Lapin, the owner of the mobile phone rule.
in 2021 “employee” bought an Ipad Pro tablet with Magic Keyboard for 1908 euros, an MSI Stealth laptop. A year later – a Samsung monitor, a phone of the same brand, an ASUS Expert Book computer.
During his four years in office, the Deputy Speaker of the Seimas purchased four different headphones – Bose, Sony, Marshall and Aftershokz. In total, the politician allocated 9 thousand to computer technology this term. euros.
As A. Tapinas announced on Facebook, A. Mazuronis did not comment on why and for whom he bought a computer for almost 3,000 euros.
“Chairman of the Labor Party and Vice-Chairman of the Seimas Andrius Mazuronis generally mocked his colleagues from 15 minutes portal and explained that in the last few days he bought a computer for almost 3000 euros in order to watch Tapin’s show better, when asked what he was using it for, he replied that it was for feeding the birds, and when asked about another one for games laptop of the purchase, stated that he will not go into details and will not explain anything”, – wrote A. Tapinas.
Last autumn, the Court of Appeal of Lithuania sentenced the “worker” V. Gapšius to 4.5 years of imprisonment for corruption crimes, he is currently in prison in Kaunas.
A politician is also deprived of the right to be elected or appointed to all positions elected or appointed by state or municipal institutions and institutions, companies or non-governmental organizations for five years.
The court stated that Raimondas Kurlianskis, the former vice-president of the concern “MG Baltic” (now “MG Grupė”), asked V. Gapšis, using his position as a member of the Seimas and his influence on fellow party members, to influence other civil servants – the then Speaker of the Seimas, members of the Labor Party faction in the Seimas, the Seimas Budget Committee and the management and members of the finance committee and the Minister of Agriculture, – that they act legally and illegally in the exercise of their powers as requested by R. Kurlianskis.
According to the court, an illegal reward was agreed for this – disguised bribes, which, after V. Gapšius promised to influence the requested persons and he himself performed the actions requested by R. Kurlianskis, received an additional 12.1 thousand. EUR discount for the political advertising of the Labor Party and 15 thousand. EUR support to the public institution “Art and Sports Projects”.
In this case of political corruption, the Labor Party, Liberalu sajūdis, MG Grupė concern, R. Kurlianskis, former members of the Seimas Eligijus Masiulis, Gintaras Steponavičius, Šarūnas Gustainis were found guilty.
Andrius Mazuronis on the crimes of the Labor Party: “I didn’t admit, I don’t admit and I won’t admit that we did something bad”
When the Seimas began the impeachment of the currently imprisoned “worker” Vytautas Gapšys and prepared for a secret vote on the cancellation of his mandate, A. Mazuronis testified that V. Gapšys was innocent.
“We will not take part in the vote, we think impeachment is unnecessary. – Why, is he in prison? – But he is innocent”, says Andrius Mazuronis, chairman of the Labor Party.
He also said that he did not think that the mandate of V. Gapšis should be destroyed.
The Court of Appeal announced that Gapšys sought to influence politicians to vote on decisions favorable to the concern “MG grupė”, received a discount of 12 thousand euros for the advertisement of the Labor Party and 15 thousand euros of support for a public institution.
“In these episodes, the Labor Party, I want to distinguish – not Masiulis’s money, bottles, we are talking exclusively about the episode of Gapšis and the Labor Party, I have never admitted, do not admit and will not admit that we did something bad or illegal there,” says A. Mazuronis.
The Labor Party was found guilty of bribery and influence trading in the “MG Baltic” case – it was awarded more than 300,000. a fine amounting to EUR 10,000, and the former party member V. Gapšys was sentenced to 4 and a half years in prison.
However, members of the Seimas did not cancel the mandate of V. Gapšis. During the voting on four separate episodes of the criminal act, none of them received the mandatory minimum number of votes – 85 – of the members of the Seimas, which is required to cancel the mandate.
After the vote, representatives of the ruling party and the opposition accused each other of secret agreements and hypocrisy, while Agnė Širinskienė, an elder of the Mixed Seimas group, and Vytautas Bakas, a member of the Democratic faction “Vardan Lietuvos”, suggested dissolving this Seimas and holding early elections.
A. Mazuronis called such an idea absurd, an attempt to “accumulate political capital”.
“Neither the opposition is maturing (the idea of early elections – BNS), nor what. There are individual initiatives of individual righteous people, as I call them, which are completely absurd, lead nowhere and whose main goal is to try to accumulate some political capital on this story,” the leader of the Labor Party told Žiniai Radio.
A. Mazuronis repeated that he believes that the decision of the Court of Appeal is not final, so he will wait for the decision of the Supreme Court of Lithuania.
“The decision of the appeals court, no matter how sweet and sweet it may be to many who proclaim justice and dance on the transparency pyre, is not final,” said the politician.
Biography of Andrias Mazuronis
Andrius Mazuronis was born in 1979. July 13 His father is a politician, former chairman of the Labor Party, Valentinas Mazuronis.
in 1986 started attending Šiauliai 18th secondary school, which later changed its name to “Aido” secondary school. After graduating from high school, he entered the Vilnius Gediminas Technical University and acquired a specialty in designing construction structures. He deepened his engineering knowledge in his master’s studies. He graduated from the university in 2003.
In the second year of his master’s studies, he got married and had a son a year later.
In his second year, he got a job at “Hrono” company, where he held the position of project manager. In 2003. at the end of the year, he moved to UAB “Middle Europe Investments Baltija”. 2006-2007 was the general director of UAB “Kirtimų logistikos centras”, 2007-2008. – UAB “Kindis” construction director.
2018-2016 and from 2019 works as a member of the Seimas.
2006-2015 Party Order and Justice, 2015-2019 – Liberal movement, from 2019 – Member of the Labor Party.
In 2022, after the resignation of the founder of the Labor Party, Viktor Uspaskich, he became the chairman of the party.
The municipal elections held in March 2023 were unsuccessful for the Labor Party led by A. Mazuronis – the party won 46 mandates, none of its candidates won the mayoral elections.
Tags: Andrius Mazuronis climbs political Olympus sins scandals Labor Party embezzlement parliamentary funds
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