Prosecutors seek to award the state unjustified expenses incurred by four municipal politicians

The prosecutor’s office announces that it seeks to award the state the unjustified expenses of members of the municipal councils of Mažeikiai, Radviliškis, Tauragė and Kretinga districts – a total of more than 42 thousand. euros.

The Prosecutor’s Office announced on Thursday that it filed four civil lawsuits last week, requesting the award of possibly illegally used self-government payments to municipalities from Mazeikiai district council member Lauryns Jonauskas, Radviliškis district council member Gabrielias Verding, Tauragė district council member Darius Petrošiaus and Kretinga district council member Jolita Vaickienė.

L. Jonauskas is asked to pay almost 8.2 thousand. EUR, from G. Verding – over 9.6 thousand. EUR, from D. Petrošius – 18.3 thousand. EUR, from J. Vaickienė – 7.7 thousand. euros.

According to prosecutors, during the 2019-2023 term of office, the member of the Mažeikiai District Council, L. Jonauskas, was reimbursed expenses for more than 6 thousand. liters of fuel. The researchers found that there was no reason to compensate for the 13 cases where more fuel was purchased at one time than could fit into the fuel tank of L. Jonauskas’ vehicle.

Fuel was unreasonably compensated in other cases, for example, during council meetings, during quarantine periods, when another type of fuel was paid for.

The prosecutor’s lawsuit states that the expenses for the repair of the vehicle, its technical maintenance, expenses for taxi services, telephone and Internet connection services, and clerical and postal services were also unreasonably compensated.

At that time, G. Verdingas, a former member of the Radviliškis district municipal council, received more than 12,000 for the functions he performed as a council member in 2019-2023, according to the prosecutors’ investigation. euros, all compensations are for fuel. In total, he asked for compensation over 20 thousand. euros.

During the prosecution’s investigation, it was established that the former member of the council usually filled up with fuel in Šiauliai, at the only gas station at one operator – his mother, who works there.

According to the investigation, Mr. Verdingas used 11 different bank payment cards when refueling 22 times, used 83 different fuel discount cards, which he refueled twice on the same day in different cities, or more than fit in the fuel tank.

Prosecutors established that D. Petrošius poured fuel into vehicles every or every second day, fuel was also poured on the same day after a short period of time, several fuel containers were filled at the same time.

The politician asked for maximum compensations for fuel costs and during the quarantine, when movement was restricted.

According to available data, D. Petrošius paid for fuel with 56 payment cards.

It was established that D. Petrošius was reimbursed for fuel expenses unjustifiably, D. Petrošius returned part of the payments – 2,124 euros – to the municipality of Tauragė district.

The prosecutor’s office also established that Kretinga district politician J. Vaickienė unjustifiably received more than 9 thousand. compensation from the municipality – bought office supplies in irrationally large quantities from his relative’s company.

It is estimated that she spent 5,611 euros on these goods during her term as a council member in 2019-2022. According to the investigation, the council member also asked for compensation of 3,489 euros for fuel expenses with the checks presented to the municipality.

Part of the receipts submitted by J. Vaickienė were recognized as substantiating the incurred fuel costs according to the mileage of the car, but this amount is divided into two parts, because the council member used the vehicle not only to perform the functions of the council member, but also for personal purposes.

The prosecutors have submitted a total of 29 civil lawsuits to the courts, requesting judgments from politicians over 349,000. euros of potentially unjustified compensations. The council members themselves voluntarily returned over 550 thousand to the municipalities. EUR, another 20 thousand euros returned according to the concluded peace agreements.

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.

Law enforcement investigations were started after publicist Andrius Tapinas, who initiated the “Skaidrinam” campaign, began to publicize possible cases of abuse of benefits of members of municipal councils.