Lithuanian politician faces charges of fraud, document forgery, and abuse of office

Justas Pankauskas, a member of the Central Election Commission, the responsible secretary of the Social Democrats, and a former deputy chancellor of the government, is facing serious charges including fraud, document forgery, and abuse of office. The prosecution is seeking to strip him of his right to hold public office for four years, arguing it is a proportionate measure to prevent future offenses.

The accusations stem from Pankauskas's tenure as a member of the Lazdijai District Municipality Council between 2019 and 2021. Authorities suspect the politician falsified expense reports, submitting false claims for fuel purchases supposedly related to his council duties. It is alleged that Pankauskas submitted fuel receipts that did not belong to him, including some paid for with bank cards belonging to his relatives and even the Social Democratic Party's credit card.

Special Investigation Service (STT) findings indicate that Pankauskas systematically submitted falsified receipts, leading to the Lazdijai District Municipality Administration improperly paying him 2,516 Euros. The prosecution highlighted a specific instance where Pankauskas allegedly obtained three fuel receipts within a three-minute window from an automatic gas station, raising questions about the legitimacy of these claims.

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Explain to the court: within three minutes, receipts were taken from an automatic gas station, what was the purpose of taking three receipts?

During court proceedings, the prosecutor presented evidence of Pankauskas's alleged fraudulent activities, including claims for diesel fuel purchased with cash and gasoline purchased with a card, all within minutes of each other. Pankauskas, who is 43 years old, claimed not to remember all the fuel-filling incidents. However, the prosecutor expressed doubt about his sincerity, emphasizing that Pankauskas systematically engaged in these actions for two years, intentionally misappropriating municipal funds.

The prosecution argued that Pankauskas's actions caused significant damage to the Lazdijai Municipality Administration and undermined public trust in council members' use of allocated funds. They opposed the defense's request to release Pankauskas under a guarantor's responsibility, insisting on accountability for his alleged intentional criminal conduct.

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He collected and submitted receipts from individuals and legal entities; he clearly understood the nature of the criminal act. The crime is intentional; he acted systematically for two years and sought to appropriate the property of the municipal administration. Significant damage was done to the Lazdijai Municipality Administration, and its authority was diminished.