Lithuanian interior minister will have to resign if his associates are found guilty of corruption

“If it emerges that violations were made at the Ministry of the Interior, that people working at the ministry abused their offices, he will be sacked. But today I have no such information,” the prime minister told the Lietuvos RytasTV’s program 24/7, adding that one should wait for the results of the ongoing pre-trial investigation.

“Let’s wait for the end of the pre-trial investigation. I don’t want to blame anyone. My duty is to ensure that nobody and nothing interferes with the law enforcement. And my duty is that if information is submitted about the minister, that people under his supervision breached certain laws, created procurement conditions for certain companies, I can assure you and the public that we will not tolerate this and such people will not work in the government,” Butkevičius said.

The country’s Prosecutor general’s Office said last Tuesday it had launched a pre-trial investigation in cooperation with the Special Investigation Service into possible corruption involving staff of the Ministry of the Interior and other people.

Searches were carried out at the offices and homes of the suspects as well as at the headquarters of the ruling Order and Justice party.

Former vice-minister of the interior Algimantas Juocevičius, Ervinas Raistenskis, a former adviser to Minister of the Interior Dailis Alfonsas Barakauskas, well-known TV producer Rolandas Skaisgirys, public enterprise Pradas Media director Justinas Garliauskas and Peisachas Kačerginskis, head of company NTService, were initially detained for two days but later released on signed written promises not to leave the country.