“The investigation itself is not complicated, and in order for the public to answer these questions as soon as possible, we plan to (submit the decision – BNS) in January,” commission chairman Gediminas Sakalauskas told BNS this week.
According to him, the commission does not want “this issue to be in the public eye for a long time”.
Matas Maldeikis, a member of the conservative faction in the Seimas, appealed to ethics watchdogs regarding the visit of the country’s leader and diplomat to the opera in October.
In the spring of this year, when G. Nausėda was visiting London, E. Bajarūnas invited him and his wife to the “Fantom of the Opera” and bought the tickets with the money of the embassy. The ambassador later said it was a misunderstanding, which he corrected and paid for from his own funds.
According to the data of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at that time, the request to cover these expenses from personal funds was submitted only when the situation became interested in the Ministry – more than four months later.
VTEK points out that the Law on the Coordination of Public and Private Interests prohibits the use of official duties or official status for personal gain.
The law also provides that “the person declaring or close to him cannot accept gifts or services, if it is related to the official position or official duties of the person declaring.”
G. Nausėda, commenting on the investigation, said that E. Bajarūnas should answer the questions of ethics watchdogs. He also emphasized that during every visit abroad, he visits cultural events – exhibitions, concerts.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabrielius Landsbergis, received complaints from employees regarding inappropriate behavior of E. Bajarūnas, suspended the ambassador’s functions in mid-October and summoned him to Vilnius for consultations. He made such a decision following an investigation by the General Inspectorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
E. Bajarūnas himself has requested an independent investigation, he claims that he is experiencing psychological violence from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, because leaking information regarding the accusations once morest him harms his reputation.
The Presidency has stated that G. Nausėda will not make a decision on his fate until he receives the conclusions of an independent investigation.
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2024-07-15 16:00:29