Legislative / Parliament

The Bulgarian government, in particular, needs to show much greater decisiveness in addressing persistent rule of law problems and in earning the trust of citizens

The Sligo councillor at the centre of this week’s RTÉ exposé has said he will not be resigning his council seat. Joe Queenan who resigned from Fianna Fáil in the immediate aftermath of the RTÉ investigation into political lobbying, apologised for failing to complete his statutory declaration for 2015 correctly, and for mentioning a potential investment in an agri-feed business.

Prosecutors, who investigate the case of Member of Parlament Vytautas Gapšys, have described to Temporary Parlamentary commission why they seek to lift his legal immunity. They state that actions of Gapšys can have features of large scale bribery and large scale trafficking of influence.

Jonas Milius, director of State Food and Veterinary Service admits that he was compiling annual declarations on income and properties not in a thorough way. He is suspected of abuse of power and forgery. There were searches in his workplace, as well in the workplace of Member of Parlament Petras Gražulis , company Judex, and Kaunas branch of National Food and Veterinary Risk Assessment Institute. It is suspected that executives of Judex in order to avoid fines have tried to bribe various responsible officials or persons who could influence such officials.

DIICOT requested the preemptive arrest of former Deputy William Brinza who was indicted of tax evasion, but the judges from the Appeals Court in Bucharest denied the request.

Eligijus Masiulis, ex leader of Liberal Movement party, was questioned in the General Prosecutors office, and officialy suspected of trafficking of influence, acquisition or handling of the property obtained by criminal means, and also of bribery. He was put under sworn statement not to leave.

The Fund of Gintaras Steponavičius, who is Member of Parlament and vice-chairman of Liberal Movement party, has officialy decided not to ask and not to accept any financial support from MG Baltic group or any companies related with the group, after the corruption scandal involving MG Baltic vice-chairman Raimondas Kurlianskis allegedly giving a bribe for now ex- chairman of the party Eligijus Masiulis.

The mandate of Eligijus Masiulis in the Lithuanian Parlament will be suspended on Friday. Together with it he will also lose his legal immunity. Masiulis requested to suspend his mandate and stepped down from the Liberal Movement party leader position after being suspected of taking a bribe.

Transparency International Latvia "Delna" has submitted an application to the Constitutional Court in challenging the government's plans for expending money from trading emission quotas of over 25 million euros for only two projects - the concert hall of Ventspils and Jelgava City Council. Rules of expending use are writen accordingly to qualify only Ventspils City Council. Moreover, ten million euros have been promised to Jelgava City Council with the support of coalition and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development.

Raimondas Kurlianskis, vice-president of MG Baltic group, person who is in the centre of corruption scandal, has also been officialy suspected of unlawful possession of the information constituting a State secret.