“Since the fact is already clear, because the person himself admitted it, I really assess it very negatively. This is a huge blow in the political arena. Needless to say, it is a reputational blow,” I. Ruginienė told reporters after the Government meeting.
“We, the people in politics, the decision-makers, must clearly realize and understand that we have come to defend the public interest – I have always emphasized that, and this should be the essential basis of our decision-making, our work. Those who do not understand that principle, apparently, have no place in politics,” added the head of the government.
The news portal “15min” reported on Wednesday that a former parliamentarian suspected in the corruption case of the State Plantation Service (VAT) admitted to taking a bribe.
Based on sources, the portal announced that the former Minister of Agriculture received up to 20,000. Danielis Krinickis, a businessman associated with the former head of VAT, Yuriys Kornijenko, handed over EUR in cash last October.
The envelope with the money was possibly left in the Seimas dormitory.
According to “15min” sources, the politician brought the money to the investigators himself.
In mid-April, Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė informed that K. Starkevičius was charged with bribery.
ELTA reminds that last December, during the investigation of extremely large-scale corruption in VAT, the officers arrested a total of 13 persons. Later, the number of suspects increased to 15 persons.
According to law enforcement, based on the data collected during the investigation, high-value bribes were systematically demanded and received from representatives of companies transporting plants and plant products for the phytosanitary certificates issued to cargo carriers by VAT.
Even then, suspended VAT director J. Kornijenko, his deputy Mantas Butas, adviser A. Silickienė, head of the Alytus regional department Giedrius Urbelionis and temporary head of the Kaunas regional department Dalia Šubonienė were named as suspects.
A. Silickienė is a former adviser to MP Saulius Skvernelis, a former member of the Central Election Commission (CEC), a former chancellor of the Vilnius District Court.
More than 1.3 million items were seized during more than 100 searches. EUR in cash, 8 kilograms of gold worth about 1 million. euros, 11 thousand were also found. packs of cigarettes, 14 thousand liters of alcohol, cocaine and explosives.
In February, the houses and offices of MPs Saulius Skvernelis and K. Starkevičius were searched.
K. Starkevičius renounced his mandate as a member of the Seimas, announced that he was suspending his membership in the Patriotic Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) party.
The politician was a long-time member of the Seimas, he worked in the parliament since 2004.
A former member of the Seimas with a legal education, he worked in the Kaunas City Municipal Council, was the first deputy mayor, the head of Kaunas County, in his public biography, K. Starkevičius also announced that he was a participant in Sąjūdis.
