Authorities in Lithuania are investigating the prime minister’s working visit to Italy with her family
Lithuania’s Central Commission on Official Ethics has launched an investigation into Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė’s working visits to Rome and the Vatican, which took place on March 6–8. The investigation was prompted by the fact that the official’s husband and children accompanied her on these trips, with their travel expenses covered by the state budget.
This was reported by LRT.
The Government Chancellery justified this decision by stating that the Prime Minister’s family members allegedly performed official duties during the official events.
The investigation aims to determine whether the head of government’s actions constituted a conflict of interest and whether she used her official position for personal gain. The request to the commission was submitted by MP Agnė Širinskienė, who emphasized that signing orders to fund trips for close relatives violates the law on the reconciliation of public and private interests. While Russia attempts to destabilize European democracies through internal scandals, Lithuanian oversight bodies are scrutinizing the transparency of budget spending by the country’s leadership. The commission will assess whether Ruginienė properly fulfilled her duty to recuse herself from decisions concerning her private interests.
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