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According to the pre-trial investigation, the Kaunas attorney, a long-term former BL judge, agreed with the Kaunas attorney VG that she, acting together with TG, an employee of the law firm, would transfer the illegal remuneration to the judge. Kaunas District Court, Rimantas. Grigas.
The police report does not mention the names of the suspects other than the judge. According to BNS, the alleged lawyers are Bronislavas Liatukas and Valda Grigonytė, and the employee of the law firm is Tautvydas Grigas, son of Judge R. Grigas.
President Gitanas Nausėda and the Council of Judges make decisions related to the abolition and removal of the legal immunity of Kaunas judge R. Grigas, suspected of corruption.
The search was also conducted at night.
“The searches were conducted outside of business hours and at night,” the news portal said. lrytas.lt said Kaunas prosecutor Valentinas Alekna, who is leading the investigation.
The prosecutor did not detail how the judge destroyed the evidence, nor did he deny that it was money.
When asked if the arrest of the lawyers and the law firm employee will be requested, V. Alekna stated that a decision has not yet been made on the matter: “The detention period ends tomorrow, there is still time.”
The arrests of the suspects took place outside of business hours.
According to the prosecutor, there are currently three official suspects in the corruption case. A separate pre-trial investigation has been launched into the judge’s possible bribery, but he has yet to be charged.
It will be possible to present suspicions before Judge R. Grigas if he loses his legal immunity.
Bribery – in a KET infringement case
According to the lrytas.lt portal, after the search, the judge complained about the deterioration of his health and went to a doctor.
According to the data of the Prosecutor’s Office, a bribe was paid to R. Grigui for a favorable decision in an administrative case for infractions of traffic regulations.
The offender requested a more lenient penalty of 12 to 3 months. Lawyers were apparently used to “gain access” to the judge.
According to investigators, the bribe was not less than 2 thousand. euros.
Decide on immunity
Police announced Wednesday that they were conducting pre-trial investigations, according to which the judge accepted a bribe for a decision in an administrative case.
Attorney General Nida Grunskienė appealed to President Gitan Nausėda to allow Judge R. Griga to be prosecuted, arrested or otherwise restrained.
Allowing this to do so would remove the judge from office.
President Ridas Jasiulionis’ spokesman told BNS that the president had been informed of the request to waive Mr. Grigo’s immunity.
“The necessary decisions will be made in the near future,” he said.
The Council of Judges is also examining Mr. Grigo’s conduct and will decide whether he should not be removed at all as a degrading judge.
The judicial authority requested this Wednesday from the Attorney General’s Office more information on the pre-trial investigation against Grig.
“In order to decide something, we first need to receive additional material and supporting data,” Sigita Rudėnaitė, president of the Judicial Council, told BNS.
A judge of said circuit may be removed by the President on the advice of the Council of Judges.
“According to what the prosecution provides, we will see if there is enough data to prove that the judge’s actions are incompatible with his presence as a judge. If it is sufficient, we will take steps to initiate the removal of a judge due to demotion, ”said S. Rudėnaitė.
Destroyed the evidence
According to the police, it was established that on Tuesday the agreed bribe or part of it was handed over to a judge at his workplace, in the Kaunas Chamber of the Kaunas District Court.
On the same day, B. Liatukas, V. Grigonytė and T. Grigas were arrested on suspicion of trafficking and bribery. A search was also carried out on Tuesday at the residences of the judge and the suspects.
During a search at the judge’s residence, he tried to destroy the evidence, according to the report.
On Tuesday, the Attorney General opened a separate pre-trial investigation into the bribery of Kaunas District Court judge R. Grig of the Kaunas District Court in relation to bribery.
This pre-trial investigation is conducted by the STT Kaunas Board. The investigation is controlled by prosecutors from the Organized Crime and Corruption Investigation Division of the Kaunas Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
R. Grigas has served as a district court judge in Kaunas since 1999.
“The message is unpleasant,” Arūnas Purvainis, president of the Kaunas District Court, said during a press conference on Wednesday, acknowledging that the fight against corruption in the courts was still closed.
According to A. Purvainis, this news can “force” other colleagues.
The reaction of the Council of Judges
In response to information on the pre-trial investigation initiated against Kaunas District Court judge Rimantas Grigas under Article 225 (1) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania in relation to bribery, the Council of Judges in principle takes the position that any action by a judge incompatible with his duties are intolerable.
The highest ethical and moral standards are imposed on a judge, and failure to comply degrades the judge’s name and injures the authority of the court and calls into question the administration of justice.
The Council of Judges requested the Attorney General to provide all pertinent information on the ongoing pre-trial investigation. Once the necessary data has been received, an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Judges will be called immediately, in which it will be decided whether the judge has not degraded the name of the judge for his conduct.
Currently, the President of the Republic of Lithuania is resolving the issue of prosecuting a judge and his powers. After the suspension of the mandate of Judge Rimantas Grigo, he will be removed and all the cases before him will be transferred to other judges.
