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Photo 2The high court was not merciful to Rolandas Paksas and Gedvydas Vainauskas. Photo by Stasio Žumbis, Elta.
The Lithuanian Court of Appeal partially upheld the prosecutor’s appeal and overturned the Vilnius Regional Court ruling in the spring of this year in a high-profile case of the effects of corruption and trade on prominent political, business and media figures. Communication.
R. Paksas and G. Vainauskas pleaded guilty to committing a crime: influence peddling. The politician was sentenced to three years in prison, the execution of which was postponed for two years and three months (during this period, he will not be able to leave his place of residence without informing the police). Therefore, you must pay a contribution of 941 euros to the Victims Fund. The head of the Lietuvos Rytas media group must pay a fine of 26,362 euros.
According to the Lithuanian Court of Appeal, this ruling seeks to ensure that those prosecuted for crimes related to corruption are subject to effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions.
The businessman Antanas Juozas Zabulis, accused of a similar crime, was acquitted. Yesterday’s court decision took effect immediately. However, he can still be appealed on cassation to the Supreme Court of Lithuania.
Prosecutors asked the court to impose a suspended sentence of three years and two months in prison on R. Paksas, a sentence of probation of three years in prison and a sentence of 26,000 in prison. a fine of 24 thousand euros, AJZabulis – 24 thousand. a fine of EUR.
In mid-April this year, the Vilnius Regional Court acquitted the three mentioned persons. It was later claimed that R. Paksas, G. Vainauskas, and AJZabulis were not guilty of blaming commerce for their influence; They did not commit any act that showed signs of crime or crime.
The three defendants vehemently deny their guilt, qualify the case as political repression and ask to be acquitted.
According to the agents of the Special Investigation Service (STT) who carried out the investigation, at the end of August 2015, the then president of the Order and Justice party, R. Paksas, agreed to accept a bribe of 15 thousand euros from G Vainauskas. inspector) to complete the construction of the Norfa store in Prienai as soon as possible and issue a permit for the operation of the building.
STT agents did not establish that a bribe would be passed to R. Paska. However, they assured that the agreement and the promise alone were sufficient to qualify a crime. G.Vainauskas, immediately after a meeting with R.Paksas in one of the capital’s restaurants, was arrested by STT agents in February 2016.
According to law enforcement officers, G. Vainauskas allegedly agreed to accept a bribe from AJZabulis for using his influence to get the Financial Crimes Investigation Service (FNTT) to end the pre-trial investigation for fraud in absorbing Union support European. The latter was initiated due to the alleged criminal activities of the renewable energy and high-tech company BOD Group. AJZabulis is suspected of representing the interests of the owner of this company. The investigation was terminated.
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