„It is very difficult to comment when we have only just learnt about these events. We believe that if the Special Investigation Service is carrying out these searches, it must have sufficient grounds to do so,“ Skaisgirytė told Žinių Radijas on Tuesday.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office reported that, as part of a pre-trial investigation into the circumstances surrounding car hire for the Nemuno Aušra party, searches were carried out at the homes of five members of the party.
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the searches were carried out at the homes of Seimas members Robert Puchovič, Kęstutis Biliaus, Daiva Žebelienė, Lina Šukytė-Korsakė and Tadas Sadauskas, all of whom belong to the Nemuno Aušra political party.
Officers from the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT) carried out the searches.
The news portal ‘15min’ was the first to report on the searches.
Party leader Remigijus Žemaitaitis confirmed to LRT Radio that the searches were part of a pre-trial investigation into the circumstances surrounding car hire by Nemuno Aušra.
ELTA notes that in May, FNTT officers had already searched the workplaces of Žemaitaitis and Member of the Seimas Daiva Petkevičienė, as well as the Nemuno Aušra headquarters. At that time, the proceedings were being carried out as part of a pre-trial investigation organised by the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office into the circumstances surrounding the car hire arrangements for Members of the Seimas by a political party.
The investigation aimed to establish whether Žemaitaitis and Petkevičienė committed a criminal offence by leasing their cars to Nemuno Aušra while continuing to use the vehicles themselves. The investigation is being carried out on suspicion of fraud.