“We confirm that Rytis Mykolas Račkauskas has been detained,” Renata Endružytė, the anti-corruption agency’s spokeswoman, told BNS.
Mayor Račkauskas could not be reached by phone on Tuesday.
STT suspects that municipal administration employees were given unlawful instructions to create favorable conditions for some companies to win public procurement contracts. It is suspected that bribes were offered for favorable decisions.
The agency’s officials are searching the offices and homes of unidentified people and have seized documents relevant to the investigation from the Panevėžys local authority and certain private limited companies.
Law-enforcement officials are expected to provide more detailed information about the investigation into suspected corruption at the Panevėžys local authority.
Račkauskas ran in the municipal election on the list of the Kartu (Together) movement. Almost all members of the municipal council, including the mayor, have left the movement amid disagreements with MP Povilas Urbsys.