Lithuanian PM-designate sold state land for 5x profit

Lithuania's Prime Minister-designate, Mindaugas Sinkevičius, faces questions over the rapid and profitable sale of a state-owned plot of land he acquired less than a year prior. Sinkevičius purchased the 457-are plot in central Jonava for €11,670 in May 2024, participating as the sole bidder at the auction.

Less than a year later, in 2025, Sinkevičius sold the same plot to the company "Fondatum" for €55,000. Records indicate that Viktor Uspaskich, a prominent figure in the "darbiečiai" party, was among the ultimate beneficiaries of "Fondatum" at the time of the sale. The head of "Fondatum," Laimonas Grikšas, stated he was unaware of the seller's identity when purchasing the land, having found the listing online.

LRT Investigations reported that the land, located on J. Basanavičiaus Street in Jonava, now hosts a "Smart Wash" car wash owned by "Fondatum." Documents suggest the process to prepare the plot for sale began in early 2022, initiated by Valdas Majauskas, then Jonava Municipality Administration Director. Majauskas is now considered by Sinkevičius as a strong candidate to succeed him as Jonava mayor.

Sinkevičius maintains he acquired the land as an ordinary citizen and was not involved in any decision-making processes related to its sale. The National Land Service confirmed the auction was public and met all requirements, with the announcement period exceeding two months. However, LRT Investigations could not verify the public visibility or duration of the online auction announcement, as the webpage is no longer functional and its archived versions are unavailable. The auction occurred shortly before the closure of the agricultural data center, which handled such listings.

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There is no longer suspicion of any crime. The police have conducted a thorough investigation that indicates the fire was not set. It is an extremely tragic accident.