Lithuanian Lawmaker Seen Abroad Without Ankle Tag Amid Plagiarism Allegations Against PM

Lithuanian lawmaker Saulius Skvernelis has drawn scrutiny after being spotted abroad without the electronic ankle tag he is required to wear as part of his intensive supervision. Skvernelis, who has publicly criticized the device as overly strict, was photographed by a reader in a foreign airport without the tag.

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If I have traveled abroad, it means it was done in compliance with the law.

Prosecutors confirmed that Skvernelis had received permission to travel abroad, but emphasized that his monitoring device had not been removed. The situation has become more complex as the Kaunas Regional Court is set to hear an appeal from Skvernelis's lawyer regarding the ankle tag. Earlier, a judge recused herself from the case after requests for her disqualification were filed.

Adding to the political intrigue, Skvernelis has claimed the charges against him are politically motivated, a sentiment political scientist Saulius Spurga dismissed as an attempt to "whitewash his uniform."

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The complaint has been transferred for examination to the Kaunas Regional Court.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius is facing his own academic controversy. His 2015 dissertation has come under fire for allegedly containing passages lifted from a 2012 scientist's blog, a World Health Organization report, and another academic paper. Sinkevičius maintains he wrote the dissertation himself and that any inaccuracies do not alter its positive evaluation.

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These are empty words, a typical politician's attempt, heard many times, to whitewash his uniform.