Illegal Lobbying

Lithuanian Court of Appeals ruled that the former MP Vitas Matuzas and lobbyist Andrius Romanovskis were cleared of all charges. Both had been accused for using a charity fund for receiving financial contributions from business in return to favourable decision-making in the Parliament.

Lobbyist Marek Dalík arrived at the prison in Prague Ruzyně on Thursday. He arrived shortly before 16 o'clock, which was the deadline for his accession to prison. Dalík was sentenced to a four years imprisonment and a four-million fine for attempted fraud. He was found guilty of asking the representatives of Austrian Steyr arms factory for a 18 million euros bribe, in exchange for influencing governments decisions on the purchase of armored personnel carriers for the Czech army. However Dalík refuses being guilty and he filed an appeal to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has not discussed the case yet and the appeal does not have a suspensive effect on the execution of Dalik´s sentence.

The Anti-corruption Police became interested in the management of the mining company OKD, which is in bankruptcy since May and has a multimillion debts. Detectives examine NWR Holdings B.V. (owner of OKD) and suspicious transactions. For example, OKD guarantee the billions in bonds and some of its assets were transferred to other companies.

Special Investigation Service of Lithuania evaluated non-transparent agreements between pharmacy companies and doctors. The situation is preoccupying in some hospitals, such as Jurbarkas hospital and Taurage hospital. One corruption scheme between one company and more than 100 doctors has been investigated. Doctors were given bribes and have recommended only specific costly products for their patients. Only in 2014 the company could have spent 140 000 Eur for bribes for doctors.

The now former Lithuania's Liberal party leader Eligijus Masiulis received the bribe from Raimondas Kurlianskis, the vice-president of "MG Baltic" holding, while seeking favourable vote ir regulation of credit unions.

Mafia Capitale: maxitrial starts now.

When M. Dalik asked for more than 480 million, he did not act as a lobbyist but attempted fraud. It is also the reason for which he was sent for four years to prison. Supreme Court Justice Martin Zelenka says that Dalik purposefully and illegally offered something that he could not arranged in any way. Dalik was condemned for demand of three times six million euros for continuing of Pandur armored personnel carriers's delivery for the Czech army.

The Appeals Court mitigated lobbyist Marek Dalik's five-year sentence by one year. Dalik is condemned for his request for a bribe of half a billion CZK in connection with the purchase of Pandur armored carriers. According to the final judgment, the lobbyist will go to jail for four years ago, he has to pay four million CZK, which is about a million less than the original judgment of the Prague Municipal Court. mitigate punishment

Lithuania's Special Investigation Service conducted search at the premises of Liberal party members Rimantas Mikaitis and Gintaras Steponavičius (his charity foundation). Search has been carried out in relation to the ongoing investigation regarding political corruption scandal that involes several top Liberal party members and the company holding "MG Baltic".

Donald Trump still repeated that the Republican establishment does not like him and that they had actually goes against him. Paul Manafort, the chief of Trump's campaign, is the experienced lobbyist, who did campaign for US presidents and African dictators. On the one hand it is a recognized expert, but on the other hand it is a man who cashed millions of African or Asian dictators. FBI was also interested in Manaforta. When it became clear that he received several hundred thousand dollars from a mysterious Trade Organization.