The rescue operation for all these scammers is organized by Vytautas Landsbergis. His subordinate Dalia Grybauskaitė is trapped in the traps of Eligijus Masiulis through the tulip emails. Eligijus Masiulis blackmailed Dalia Grybauskaitė at the beginning of the history of bribes, promising us to reveal what we had not dreamed of. Now acquitted, Masiulis is silent.
"The Vilnius
Regional Court on Tuesday sentenced a large political corruption case in which
former Liberal leader Eligijus Masiulis, MG Baltic and former vice-president
Raimondas Kurlianskis, etc., were acquitted.
The verdict in the case of political
corruption was handed down by a panel of three judges - Nijolė Žimkienė
(chairwoman of the panel), Jurgita Kolyčienė and Ugnius Trumpulis.
In this case,
charges were filed against three legal entities - the Liberal Movement, the
Labor Party and the MG Baltic concern, as well as natural persons - ex-liberal
E. Masiulis, former members of the Seimas Gintaras Steponavičius, Šarūnas
Gustainius, Vytautas Gapšius, former employee of MG Baltic R.
Kurlianskis, Vice President. The Labor Party has been accused of bribery and
trading in influence, the Liberal Movement has been accused of bribery, trading
in influence and abuse, and MG Baltic has been accused of bribery and trading
in influence of these parties.
The trial court
first issued an operative part - stating the charges against the prosecuted
persons and then made its assessment - all acquitted of all the charges against
them.
The court stressed
that the defendants had not committed any acts having the characteristics of a
criminal offense.
The chairwoman of
the panel of judges N. Žimkienė noted that the accusations not only regarding
bribery, but also other crimes were not
confirmed.
The court
acknowledged that the communication between R. Kurlianskis and E. Masiulis
could have led to different interpretations of the non-transparent behavior,
but this did not give rise to criminal liability.
Penalties proposed
by the prosecutor
Justas Laucius,
the Chief Prosecutor of the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor's Office, who supported
the state prosecution in the case of political corruption, proposed to the
court that R. Kurlianskis be found guilty of bribery and trafficking in
politicians and sentenced to one and a half years in prison and a fine of 1,000
MGL (EUR 37,660). He is also being asked for a criminal sanction of seven years
in the public and private sectors.
At the same time, the
prosecutor asked E. Masiulis to be found guilty of bribery, trafficking and
illegal enrichment, for which he offered the court to sentence to serve seven years'
imprisonment, a fine of 1,000 MGL (37,660 euros) and the confiscation of 106
thousand euros of bribe money. In addition, the public
prosecutor asked the court to confiscate and recover from Masiulis almost 138
thousand. EUR worth of property which is the subject of an offense of unlawful
enrichment. It is also proposed that a former member of the Seimas be deprived
of the right to hold office in the public and private sector for seven years.
The prosecutor
also asked the court to arrest R. Kurlianskis and E. Masiulis and arrest them
in the courtroom.
Member of the
Seimas, former First Deputy Speaker of the Labor Party V. Gapšis is requested
to be found guilty of bribery and trading in influence crimes and sentenced to
one and a half years in prison, to recover the amount of EUR 27,100 measure, also
deprivation of office in the public and private sectors for seven years.
For former member of
the Seimas Š. Gustainis the prosecutor asked for a fine of
750 MGL (€ 28,245), for the recovery of the € 8,700 indirect bribe in favor of
the state, and for five years' disqualification from serving in the public and
private sectors.
The public
prosecutor asked for the former member of the Seimas , G. Steponavičius, to be found
guilty of abuse and to impose a fine of 450 MGL (16,947 Eur) and a measure of
criminal sanction - deprivation of the right to hold office in the public and
private sector for four years.
The prosecutor
offered to allocate 40 thousand euros fine to the concern MG Baltic, which has changed
its name to MG Group. MGL
“MG Baltic” Relations
with politicians
Officials suspect
that politicians have taken or negotiated bribes with R. Kurlianskis, Vice
President of MG Baltic, and later offered or supported initiatives in favor of
the concern in the Seimas and other institutions.
The criminal case
reached court in 2018. The first investigative actions were launched by
officials of the Special Investigation Service (STT) and the Prosecutor's
Office back in 2015, when the courts granted permission to eavesdrop on the
conversations of politicians and businessmen. True, the pre-trial investigation
was launched in May 2016.
On May 10, at
about 4 pm, STT agents recorded R. Kurlianskis meeting with E. Masiulis at the
Seimas and handing over 106 thousand euros to him. Eur. E. Masiulis, like R.
Kurlianskis, who handed over the money, was not detained after taking a bribe -
the decision to detain and interviewed them was made only two days later. At
that time, not only the homes of E. Masiulis and R. Kurlianskis were searched,
but also cars and workplaces.
R. Kurlianskis had
recorded every euro possibly paid to politicians in his notes - during a search
in a businessman's office, to which investigators had previously been unable to
gain access secretly, officials found numerous manuscripts containing not only laws
discussed by the Seimas but also initials of different persons with the
addition of the abbreviations € (euro) and “ST. VD. ”(Stumbras vodka). These
entries have been crossed out with a yellow marker.
At that time, E.
Masiulis explained that he had received a loan from R. Kurlianskis instead of a
bribe, but that he reported about it only four months after receiving the
alleged loan during an interrogation at the prosecutor's office.
According to the
prosecutor's office, which transferred the criminal case to the court, it is
suspected that R. Kurlianskis, who had the right to act on behalf of the MG
Baltic concern, has been involved since July 2015 to May 10, 2016 , he sought
to make political decisions that benefited the Group by bribing politicians and
trading in influence. The allegations state that R. Kurlianskis in several
meetings with politicians offered, promised, agreed to give and gave bribes for
their lawful or illegal actions in favor of the concern.
It is suspected
that in 2015. in July from the account owned by the concern's media company to
the then parliamentarian Š. Gustainis a bribe of € 8,700 was disbursed to the account of
a public body affiliated with the Liberal Movement set up by Gustainis, disguised
as support for the public body.
2015 R.
Kurlianskis, who met with Š. Gustainis, forwarded to him the text of the
amendment to the draft Law on Consumer Credit, which was useful to the concern,
and the parliamentarian, following the businessman's request, registered his
proposals on the draft law on consumer credit in the Seimas and voted in favor
of the draft law.
The indictment
states that the bribe money has been used since 2016 to cover part of the
"Ready to win" training of Liberal Movement members from January to
April. The training
initiated, coordinated, organized and paid for by the public body established
by Gustainis was designed to ensure the successful participation of the
candidates of the Liberal Movement Party in 2016 elections, in the political campaign for
the Seimas.
During the
pre-trial investigation, it was also established that the then chairman of the
Liberal Movement E. Masiulis had 106 thousand euros. The bribe in euros was
transferred in cash for the possible “adoption of decisions beneficial to the
concern in the Seimas during the consideration and adoption of the draft Law on
Consumer Credit, the Seimas resolution on more than 169 mln. Eur public-private
partnership project “Road Vilnius - Utena”; for a proposal to amend the draft
Law on Restrictions on Cash Payments; for the consideration of the decision on
the approval of the resolution on the monument to Jonas Basanavičius for the
removal from the agenda of the Vilnius Municipal Council, for the exceptional
position and favorability of other political decisions in the Seimas for the
future, as well as for E. Masiulis exercising his influence on other members of
the Liberal Movement in 2012-2016 to make decisions in
favor of the concern ”.
As stated in the
accusations, R. Kurlianskis also gave a bribe to E. Masiulis in the form of
intangible, with no economic value in the market: “R. Kurlianskis, as the
chairman of the media board subordinate to the concern, organized speeches by
the former chairman of the Liberal Movement on television programs belonging to
the concern, in which the activities of E. Masiulis and his party were
highlighted, increasing the authority of this political party and its chairman.
The allegations
indicate that bribes were handed over to V. Gapšis for promising to
influence the then Speaker of the Seimas Loreta Graužinienė, members of the
Seimas Budget and Finance Committee, as well as members of the Labor Party
Seimas to submit and vote for political decisions beneficial to the concern in
the committee and in the plenary sittings of the Seimas and to make other
political decisions beneficial to the concern: during the consideration and
adoption of the draft Law on Consumer Credit, consideration and adoption of the
draft Law on Corporate Income Tax; as well as for the influence of the members
of the Labor Party faction in the Seimas in adopting the Seimas resolution
regarding 169 mln. Eur public-private partnership project "Road Vilnius -
Utena".
The indictments
also indicate that these bribes were also handed over to V. Gapšis and for the
promise to influence the then Minister of Agriculture Virginija Baltraitienė to
make financially favorable decisions for the media belonging to the concern by
distributing publicity and publicity of projects implemented by the Ministry of
Agriculture and the National Paying Agency, information campaigns in 2016
budgets. Also - for the promise to influence the Minister of Agriculture to
instruct the employees of the National Land Service to enter into a state land
lease agreement with the company managed by the concern in Vilnius, Tujų str.
That is long-term lease of part of the existing state land plot.
The allegations
state that these bribes were also handed over to V. Gapšis for promising to
influence the decision on leaving the then Director General of the Lithuanian
Railways in this position for another term; for the promise to influence the
members of the faction in deciding the results of the public procurement
“Construction of the Very Low Level Radioactive Waste Repository” and
“Procurement of Engineering Design, Connection and Connection to the INPP
Existing Infrastructure Works” announced by the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant in
favor of the situation and favorability in the future in the Seimas when making
other political decisions beneficial to the concern.
The indictment
states that V. Gapšys promised to influence the chairperson of the Seimas
Health Committee regarding the appointment of the candidate nominated by R.
Kurlianskis as the chairman of the National Health Council for the bribe.
The verdict will
be available for appeal
At that time, the
accusations against G. Steponavičius stated that he, in 2012-2016. R.
Kurlianskis, a member of the Seimas, the then deputy chairman of the
parliamentary political party Liberal Movement and the deputy elder of this
political party in the Seimas, abused the office, asked for money from the
concern's representative R. Steponavičius, members of the Seimas for the
election campaign. According to the data of the case, part of the 20 thousands euros
was requested by G. Steponavičius. The amount of EUR 15 thousands was transferred
from the account of the media company subordinated to R. Kurlianskis to the
public institution and support fund represented by G. Steponavičius. Part of
these funds were used for Liberal Movement events.
The case of
political corruption was tried by the court for four years, and many current
and former politicians were questioned in the case.
The judgment of
the Vilnius Regional Court may be appealed within 20 days after its
announcement. There is no doubt that this case will reach the Supreme Court of
Lithuania as well.”
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