Prime Minister sues opposition MP for slander

The private lawsuit concerns Bilotaitė’s statements on a business deal concluded by Evaldas Vaitasius, Butkevičius’ son-in law. The prime minister says in the lawsuit that Bilotaitė has spread false information compromising his dignity and honour.

The prime minister’s spokeswoman Evelina Butkutė–Lazdauskienė told BNS on Tuesday the lawsuit was filed in response to Bilotaitė’s statements saying that “the prime minister’s son-in-law gets company shares as a present” and “…we see the son-in-law’s story and we see the transfer of shares. I see a bribe.”

Bilotaitė called the prime minister’s move “not very dignified” and says such actions show that the incumbent government has problems dealing with corruption allegations.

“It sounds strange to me that the prime minister personally files a private lawsuit to defend his dignity and honour. It’s not very dignified of the prime minister, I think,” she told BNS on Tuesday.

The prime minister’s son-in-law claims to have bought shares of the public relations company Ministerium from its other shareholder Mantas Krasauskas. The latter purchased them earlier from the son of the prime minister’s former spokeswoman Dalia Kutraitė–Giedraitienė. The opposition questions “whether that wasn’t a cover-up deal that could be seen as a form of a gift to the prime minister’s family”.

Following media reports about the deal, Vaitasius sold his shares in the company.