Jedinski: I felt the moral pressure from Zalator

The arrest of Valdas Sutkus, president of the Lithuanian Business Confederation (LVK), and Mantas Zalatorius, head of the Lithuanian Bank Association (LBA), on suspicion of illegal impact on the legislation, said it would have a negative impact on the companies and lobby organizations.

M. Zalatorius and V. Sutkus were detained on Tuesday during an investigation by the Special Investigation Service (STT) and the Attorney General’s Office into alleged large-scale bribery, bribery, influence peddling, extortion, and forgery of documents.

Attorney General Evaldas Pašilis said Tuesday that there were reasonable questions that the damage could have been done to the entire state, the state budget, and that the actions of M. Zalator and V. Sutkus could have increased the tax burden on the population.

Jedinski said he felt Zalator’s moral pressure to change his position.

“I can say that Mr. Zalatorius represented the banks, in my head, he worked very hard. I felt so much moral pressure, I had to participate in the shows, I felt moral pressure during the discussion. In my opinion,” said the politician. “

“First of all, when there is a discussion on the show, everyone presents their arguments, then there is a feeling that he was trying to squeeze me with his arguments to change his mind. He even once said that I can make a big effort, because that tax it won’t happen anyway. ” Delphi Z. Jedinskis said.

The MP said he had no contact on the matter with V. Sutkus.

“Not really on that subject,” he said.

Jedinski said he had no information on attempts to persuade colleagues in the group.

“I really didn’t hear anyone trying to change. Just what I saw and saw was as functional an effect as you can see here.” Delphi Z. Jedinskis said.

The decision was made by Seimas last year.

At the end of last year, along with the 2020 budget, the Seimas will increase the budget by five percentage points to 20% from the beginning of this year. taxation of profits of banks and credit unions increased. 20 percent tax rate applies only to more than 2 million. and it is valid only for three years, for the calculation of income tax for 2020-2022.

There was no discussion at the time of the discussion that the highest tax would only apply for three years. The reason for the three-year period was not disclosed in the explanatory memorandum of the project. Valius Ąžuolas, one of the initiators of the law, chairman of the Seimas Budget and Finance Committee, later explained that the Ministry of Finance recommended the three-year deadline.

M. Zalatorius later stated that the LBA and Seimas members did not consult on a higher application of the corporate income tax rate for just three years.

The Seimas also received a proposal to tax more than 300 million. However, after experts hired by Seimas criticized the proposal, consideration of this project was postponed. The proposal to tax bank assets was also critically evaluated by the European Central Bank and the Bank of Lithuania.

The Polish Lithuanian Election Campaign, the Union of Christian Families, which submitted a proposal on the taxation of bank assets, then stated that it did not resign and intended to seek adoption.

The LBA criticized both the proposal on the taxation of bank assets and the higher corporate tax rate, and also, without success, asked President Gitanas Nausėda to veto Seimas’s decision on further taxation of bank profits.

V. Sutkus has been the President of the Lithuanian Business Confederation since 2010. He previously worked for the Lithuanian Industrial Confederation, the Lithuanian Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts and the Achema and Fima Group, and in the past also He worked as Director of Corporate Affairs for MG Baltic and Economic Advisor to the then President Rolandas Paksas.

According to data from the Records Center, V. Sutkus is currently also a shareholder and manager of the consulting firm Bonum Partners.

M. Zalatorius, 47, has led the LBA since May 2017, when he replaced Stasys Kropas, who has led the association since 2008. Since 2018, he has also been Vice President of the Lithuanian Industrial Confederation.

According to data from the Records Center, M. Zalatorius is currently a member of the Presidium and Vice President of the Lithuanian Industrial Confederation, as well as a member of the Presidium of the Lithuanian Business Confederation.

The pre-trial investigation is carried out by the Special Investigation Service and the Attorney General’s Office.