Gintautas Paluckland

Gintautas Paluckas served as Prime Minister of Lithuania from December 2024 until his resignation in August 2025. His tenure was marked by significant controversy and multiple legal investigations, leading to his departure from government and party leadership. In 2012, Paluckas was convicted of abusing his position regarding Vilnius rat extermination contract bids, resulting in a suspended two-year prison sentence and an unpaid fine that surfaced as a major controversy during his premiership. Following investigative reports in 2025, authorities launched probes into his business interests, specifically involving companies Garnis (49% owned by Paluckas) and Dankora (owned by his sister-in-law). Allegations include: Abuse of office and illicit enrichment: Prosecutors have formally suspected Paluckas and his wife of illicit enrichment involving approximately 344,600 euros in unexplained assets accumulated between 2010 and 2024. The Lithuanian parliament stripped him of his legal immunity in 2026 to allow these criminal proceedings. Credit fraud, bribery, and corruption: A pre-trial investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT) is examining suspected fraud related to a 200,000-euro subsidized loan granted to Garnis and the alleged fraudulent acquisition of 136,000 euros in EU funding by Dankora. Five suspects have been charged in this case, which includes allegations of document forgery and bribery. Ethics violations: The Chief Official Ethics Commission investigated whether Paluckas violated regulations by participating in government decisions concerning the bank that granted his company a loan. Paluckas has consistently denied wrongdoing, characterizing the investigations as a coordinated attack. Investigations remain ongoing.