Lithuanian MPs’ charitable foundations not transparent, says international watchdog

Eight out of 14 charity and support foundations named after or set up by members of the Seimas have no websites, nor have they registered with NVO Atlasas (NGO Atlas), a NGO register recently launched by the organization.

These include charity and support foundations founded by Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius, Order and Justice MP Remigijus Ačas, Labour Party MP Valentinas Bukauskas and other parliamentarians.

“None of these foundations have taken the opportunity to tell people free of charge about their activities and financing sources. Therefore, we can say with confidence that by the 21st century standards, their operations are not transparent,” Sergejus Muravjovas, head of Transparency International Lithuania, told BNS.

According to him, the transparency of foundations linked to politicians is particularly important given the ongoing law-enforcement investigation in which Eligijus Masiulis, a former leader of the Liberal Movement, is suspected of taking a 100,000-euro bribe from MG Baltic Vice-president Raimondas Kurlianskis.

As part of this investigation, searches were carried out earlier this year at the home of Vytautas Toleikis, head of a foundation founded by Gintaras Steponavičius, deputy chairman of the Liberal Movement.

MP Bukauskas told BNS that he would make more information about his charity and support foundation available to the public. Meanwhile, the prime minister’s spokesman said that the activities of the Algirdas Butkevičius Charity and Support Foundation had been suspended since 2012.