S. Skvernelis on the scandal in the Lithuanian police: both a parliamentary and a pre-trial investigation are needed

This is how the politician, former general commissioner assessed the accusations made by the dismissed Lithuanian criminal police investigator Algimantas Martinkaus.

The latter claims that former high-ranking officials, in the struggle for influence, ordered to follow the then commander of border guards Renats Požėlas, the then Chancellor of the Government Algirdas Stončaitis, the then Kaunas County Police Chief Darius Žukauskas, several members of the Seimas.

Among other things, A. Martinkus accuses A. Roginskis of instructing him to falsely associate the commander of the Palanga lifeguard station, Jonas Pirožnikas, with the Kaunas “Kamuolinių” group, thereby initiating criminal intelligence.

“Need to check if this is true”

S. Skvernelis asserts that the questions should be answered both during the parliamentary and pre-trial investigation.

“I see grounds for not only a parliamentary but also a pre-trial investigation, because according to the circumstances set out in the statement, it is an obvious abuse of office, falsification of official documents – criminal intelligence files, it needs to be checked whether it is true”, – 15 minutes said the MP representing the opposition.

He said that for the time being it is “difficult to say” whether he will take the initiative on the parliamentary investigation, since the statement was received by the head of the Seimas and all factions, so their reaction is awaited.

According to the leader of the “Vardan Lietuvos” Democratic Union, the facts mentioned by A. Martinkaus are unheard of.

“These facts are new to me. There were assumptions, there were rumours, all kinds of talk, but that the official will speak, and with such facts as are in the statement, these are new things. There is another moment – it turns out that there were already appeals to the Criminal Intelligence Commission, but I, as a member, do not remember that we received and considered such a letter”, said S. Skvernelis.

He also said that he met with A. Martinkum at the end of last year.

“Yes, we had a meeting after he appealed that he was not getting an answer from the Criminal Intelligence Commission according to his writings (…) I told him what avenues to use – legal avenues to use. He didn’t really tell all the facts, but he mentioned the general circumstances,” said the MP.

What charges?

Former officer A. Martinkus requests an investigation into the actions of several law enforcement officers who hold or previously held high positions.

Among them are the former head of the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau, now the head of the Financial Crimes Investigation Service, Rolandas Kiškis, his former deputy, now the special attaché of the Lithuanian Police in the Netherlands and the European Police Office Andžejus Roginskis, the former head of the Immunity Service, the current Deputy Minister of Justice Elanas Jablonskas, as well as the current deputy head of the office Saulius Briginas and Gintaras Gečėnas and Gintas Venclovas.

Luka Balandios / 15min photo / Andrzej Roginskis

A. Martinkus claims that there was an attempt to illegally connect the then Kaunas police chief D. Žukauskas with Arūnas Pukelis, a businessman with a controversial reputation.

A. Martinkus said during the press conference that he had previously sent letters to the Parliamentary Control Commission of Criminal Intelligence with this information, and also confirmed that last year he had met with the leader of the Democratic Union “Vardan Lietuvos” Saulius Skvernelis as a “former police chief”.

“As a former general commissioner, after seeing that he is purely in that commission, I think it is logical to go to the person who may understand the matter even more and ask why you don’t give me an answer. When I went, they said we didn’t even see anything,” said A. Martinkus.

Police vehemently deny the allegations

The police management categorically rejects the accusations.

As stated in the report of the Police Department, on January 11 of this year, the Vilnius District Administrative Court rejected A. Martinkaus’ complaint regarding the officer’s dismissal from his position after losing the right to work with classified information.

Irmantos Gelūnos/BNS photo/Renatas Požėla

The report of the police department asserts that the information disseminated by A. Martinkaus and the persons representing him is considered to be untrue in order to achieve selfish goals – to avoid responsibility.