When the scandal emerged that through the Parliament members’, liberal Gintaras Steponavičius set up a fund and its associated companies to legal person could finance the Lithuanian Republic Liberal Movement (LRLS), public Conservative Party leader Gabrielius Landsbergis reaction caused a spark between the previous policy partners Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats ( TS – LKD ) and liberals.
G. Landsbergis: friction between the Liberals and the Criminal Code
And although both the Liberals Movement (LS) and the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS – LKD) party leadership denies that political relations have been bad, publicly visible facts say the opposite – the love between Parliament political right partners cools with each day.
“There is no friction with the Conservative liberals. There is a friction between liberals with the Criminal Code, “- TS – LKD chairman Gabrielius Landsbergis retorted to DELFI, when asked what black cat passed between the two political parties.
“Gabrielius Landsbergis is not an authority to me and it is not for him to advise me what to do. No he is not a judge in Lithuania and it still has no judges “- retorted one of the Lithuanian Liberal Movement of the Republic of directors, MP Vitalijus Gailius in regards to the conservative leader’s public statements about the Liberal leadership.
Called systematically corrupt
“Either they are all invested in real estate in Nida, or the Liberal Party leadership is systemically corrupt. Gintaras (MP G. Steponavičius – authors note) has to give up the mandate of the Parliament member without excused and without waiting for Parliament decisions. The Homeland Union of today will begin a discussion on further cooperation with the Liberal Movement “- wrote G. Landsbergis on his Facebook account on April 13th.
The politician has responded to the fact that when the Attorney General Evaldas Pašilis appealed to parliament seeking the annulment of the MP, one of the leaders of the Liberal Movement (now formally stopped the party membership) Gintaras Steponavičius legal immunity.
Law enforcement suspects that in the politicians’ set up a fund and its associated bodies to legal entities had funded the Liberal movement.
For legal entities it is forbidden by law to finance political parties in Lithuania.
Liberals swallowed such public outburst of G. Landsbergis but, it seems, did not forget. Revenge did not have to wait long.
On Tuesday the course of consideration of the Social Democrat Mindaugas Bastys impeachment issue, even the old-timers were surprised of one of the leaders of the Liberal Movement, the Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman V. Gailius speech.
“Is a systematic individual politician, and today of the Parliament, legal entities established significant funding from the scheme led the named persons or related legal persons not a threat to national security? I think it is a serious threat to national security, as here, in Parliament, a persons established public institution associated with these individuals, transferred hundreds of thousands of LTL “- said V.Gailius.
They talked about the institute conservative associated with M. Adomėnas?
“Liberals are very sensitive to the Conservative criticism,” – sources of G. Landsbergis said to DELFI.
And while in public neither the Parliament, nor the public institution of V. Gailius indicated the sources, Liberals Movement stated that MPs are likely to have in mind Russian energy companies and politicians in power in this country associated company „Dujotekana” and its support for public body for of the Democratic policy Institute (DPI) which happened for more than a decade.
This body is associated with the conservative, Parliament members Mantas Adomėnas who is TS – LKD Vice-President of G. Landsbergis party.
Eleven years ago, in 2006, as publicly announced, Dujotekana gave the Institute tens of thousands of dollars.
V. Gailius himself told DELFI when asked what he had in mind did not confirm ties with M. Adomėnas and directly approved by DPI, but did not deny them either.
“If we say that Bastys (Parliament member M. Bastys – author note) contacts are a threat to national security, then the contacts plus the support and the support are impossible without systematic contacts, and in my opinion that is even greater threat to national security. I am convinced that there are more MPs, and more public bodies, whose relationship with the Parliamentary Committee (Parliament National Security and Defence Committee – author note) the studies point to individuals and their legal entities, their support poses a potential threat to national security. And I asked the Committees to continue the investigation and continue to evaluate, “- said V. Gailius.
Conservative M. Adomėnas does not deny that once DPI received Dujotekana support, however, he argue that the same time, there was no connection with the support or with the same DPI.
“I joined the activities of the Institute later and did not communicate with Dujotekana representatives, no meetings, no requests and have not received any financial support,” – says MP.
Social Democrat A. Skardžius: Conservatives kick the ones who are down
M. Adomėnas argues that such a step of V. Gailius is only an ‘unsuccessful attempt to divert attention from the Liberal problems than someone’s support, which, by the way, at that time was allowed, and was public.”
He supports the ruling coalition and Parliamentary representative, a Social Democrat member of the Parliament Artūras Skardžius. According to the Social Democrats, he was surprised by the reaction of the Parliament Anticorruption Commission chairman V. Gailiaus in the spring of last year, when the Special Investigation Service ( SIS ) agents arrested the then Chairman of the Liberal movement, then – MPs Eligijus Masiulis with a potentially received a very large amount of money from concern ” MG Baltic”.
E. Masiulis, who together with parliamentarians G. Steponavičius are currently suspects in a political corruption case, explains that said money is not a bribe, but a loan.
“I really missed Mr. Gailius reaction on Masiulis. That (the reaction – author note) was just not there. The current attempts to say that other politicians have funds and possibly through the funds hold or held party funding is just an attempt to mitigate the situation, which is now entering the Liberal Movement “- said A. Skardžius.
The politician said that the current friction between the liberal and conservative is a recent attempt to take advantage of the current situation before the upcoming municipal elections, to lure the Liberal voters to the Conservatives.
“They (the Conservatives – author note) are playing just fine. They exploit the current situation to strengthen their political positions. And this is normal given that both liberal and conservative voters partially overlap. And here, I would think, is the friction – the fight for the big cities after the municipal elections, which will be managed by them. And conservatives like to say that they do not miss the opportunity to eventually kick a lying one in the ass “, – said Social Democratic parliamentarian A. Skardžius.
It supports expressed position of liberal V. Gailius that the Parliament National Security and Defence Committee (CNSD) should extend the investigation and find out other possible policies whether their foundations or public institutions received funding and the potential impact.
The fact that CNSD initiated an investigation to expand and continue on Wednesday, hinted the chairman of the “farmer” Viktoras Pranckietis.
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