STT searches the Seimas and the State Service for Plant Production

Juozas Olekas, the Speaker of the Seimas, urged people to refrain from making premature judgements after the Special Investigation Service (STT) searched the offices of the Democratic leader Saulus Skvernelis and the conservative Kazis Starkevičius on Monday.

„I call on all parties to behave responsibly, to refrain from prejudging and to allow law enforcement to do its job. Only transparency, respect for the law and institutional cooperation can ensure the public's belief that law and justice in Lithuania are above posts, institutions and famous names," the Seimas leader said on the social networking site „Facebook“.

„I regret that the offices of the members of the Seimas have to be visited and searched by the officers of the Special Investigation Service. Such incidents inevitably raise questions about the reputation of the Parliament and the public's trust in the Seimas," Olekas added. 

J. Olekas told reporters at the Seimas that he had not yet received a request from the Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė regarding the lifting of immunities of the members of the Seimas.

„I have not received such an appeal so far. (...) First of all, there is a reputational damage (to the Seimas – BNS), because we all understand that if there is an investigation, there is a guilty person, or at least there is a perception of guilt, that there is a guilty person, if there is an investigation here. And that's why people have this attitude. It seems to me that this is reputational damage, both for those MPs themselves and for our institution itself," he said.

The head of the Seimas also stressed that the story casts a shadow over the Democratic Union „In the Name of Lithuania“ and the Homeland Union - Lithuanian Christian Democrats.

„Perhaps the most important thing is whether or not any charges will be brought. But the very fact of the investigation casts a certain shadow, if you like, –, explained J. Olekas.

Ligita Girskienė, a member of parliament for the ruling „peasants“, assured that she was not surprised by this turn of events. She called the reputational damage to the Democrats and the conservatives significant.

„It seemed that she should have come to the Seimas earlier, because an adviser to the honourable Skvernelis, who is under suspicion in a corruption case concerning the Plant Breeding Service, was working in the Seimas as an adviser“, – she said.

„ And we also know that Kazys Starkevičius is one of the persons who was involved in the process of appointing the head of the (Plant Breeding Service – BNS) (Yuriy Kornijenko – BNS), so maybe there is also a connection there“, – the MP added.

BNS wrote that the searches are linked to corruption in the State Service for Plant Breeding. Searches are also being carried out at the homes of the two opposition representatives. 

BNS tried to contact Starkevičius and Skvernelis, but their phones were switched off.

As part of the investigation, suspicions have already been raised against the head of the Plant Production Service, Mr Kornijenko, and 12 other people.

They include Mr Kornijenko's deputy Mantas Butas, advisers Aurelijus Šapranauskas and Agnė Silickienė, the head of the Kaunas regional department Dalia Šubonienė, and the head of the Alytus regional department Giedrius Urbelionis.

According to the investigation, large bribes were systematically demanded and received from the representatives of companies transporting plants and plant products for the phytosanitary certificates issued by the Plant Protection Service to the transporters of such goods.

During previous searches, €1.3 million in cash, eight kilograms of gold worth around €1 million, explosives and cocaine were found.

Agriculture Minister Andrius Palionis has said that suspicions of possible corruption in the Plant Breeding Service were raised as early as last spring.

K. Starkevičius was the Minister of Agriculture in August-December 2024, a position he also held in 2008–2012. In 2020–2024, he was chairman of the Seimas Committee on Economic Affairs, having previously served as vice-chairman of the Committee on Rural Affairs.

The portfolio of Minister of Agriculture currently belongs to „Nemunas aušra“.