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Lithuanian court postpones mayor's corruption sentencing to 2026
๐Ÿ‡ฑ๐Ÿ‡น Lithuania /Crime & Justice

Lithuanian court postpones mayor's corruption sentencing to 2026

From Delfi · () Lithuanian

Translated from Lithuanian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • Lithuania's Appellate Court postponed the sentencing for a corruption case involving the Druskininkai mayor to September 14, 2026.
  • The delay is due to the case's complexity, involving 15 appeals concerning the illegal construction of the Vijลซnฤ—lฤ— manor.
  • Mayor R. Malinauskas, accused of corruption to prevent the manor's demolition, maintains his innocence and argues the initial verdict was unlawful.

The sentencing for a high-profile corruption case involving Druskininkai Mayor R. Malinauskas has been postponed by the Lithuanian Appellate Court. The court moved the sentencing from July 9 to September 14, 2026, citing the case's extensive scope, numerous appeals, and complex legal and factual issues.

The announcement of the decision has been postponed due to the large volume of the criminal case, the large number of appeals filed, and the complexity of the facts and legal issues raised.

โ€” Lithuanian Appellate CourtThe court announced the reason for postponing the sentencing.

The case centers on allegations of corruption aimed at preventing the demolition of the illegal Vijลซnฤ—lฤ— manor in Druskininkai. The General Prosecutor's Office seeks to uphold the sentences imposed on those found guilty, including Mayor Malinauskas and his former advisor Aivaras Kadziauskas, as well as several judges who ruled on matters related to the manor.

Mayor Malinauskas, who was found guilty of influence peddling and fined 60,000 euros by the Kaunas Regional Court last year, disputes the verdict. His lawyer has filed an appeal, arguing that the first-instance court did not properly assess evidence and based its guilty verdict on unfounded assumptions. Malinauskas maintains he never negotiated bribes and that payments were for legal services. He admitted to being interested in the property's preservation and had discussed its potential purchase and demolition with the owner, ลฝilvinas Povilonis.

The first-instance court did not adhere to the requirement of the Code of Criminal Procedure to assess evidence according to its internal conviction, based on a thorough and impartial examination of all circumstances of the case; the guilty verdict is based solely on unfounded assumptions.

โ€” R. Malinauskas's lawyerDetailing the grounds for the appeal against the initial verdict.

The mayor also stated that he met with Oksana Sakalauskienฤ— and her lawyer at the initiative of A. Kadziauskas to discuss legal strategies. He described the meeting as a brief lunch to plan court actions, appeals, and expert examinations. The Kaunas Regional Court also ordered Malinauskas to pay 30,000 euros. He has consistently denied guilt, asserting that all payments were for legitimate legal services.

I have never negotiated with A. Kadziauskas or anyone else for money or for bribing someone โ€“ all the money was simply paid for legal services.

โ€” R. MalinauskasThe mayor's statement denying bribery and explaining payments.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Delfi in Lithuanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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