Prosecutors have charged former Lithuanian Armed Forces Commander Valdemaras Rupšys with abuse of office, fraud, and document forgery in a case involving military-funded dental care, Lithuania’s Special Investigation Service (STT) announced Tuesday.
Rupšys is accused of receiving dental services at the military’s expense under questionable circumstances following a personal injury sustained while on assignment in Germany. A former military medical officer, whose name has not been disclosed, is also facing charges of abuse of office, forgery, and aiding in the alleged fraud.
The case stems from an internal complaint filed by Nerijus Rimkevičius, deputy head of administration and support at the Lithuanian Military Medical Service. The Ministry of Defence launched an internal probe, which ultimately led to a formal criminal investigation by the STT, overseen by a prosecutor from the Organised Crime and Corruption Investigation Division of the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
According to Rimkevičius, the incident raises broader concerns about favouritism and misuse of authority within the military’s medical leadership. In his report, he described an inappropriate closeness between former armed forces chief Rupšys and one of the medical service’s deputy directors, dentist Šarūnas Ratkus, who allegedly boasted of personal ties with the general.
“From my very first day in the Military Medical Service, Ratkus consistently and emphatically boasted about his good personal relationship with the commander of the Lithuanian Armed Forces,” Rimkevičius wrote. “In my view, these close personal ties led to an undue display of power toward subordinates during the performance of official duties.”
The case centres on an incident in 2022 when Rupšys reportedly sustained a dental injury while eating during a work trip to Germany. Upon his return, he sought treatment from a private dentist, followed by tooth extraction at a military medical facility. He was later referred to the public Žalgiris Clinic for dental prosthetics, which were funded by the military.
Military officials acknowledged that such procedures are not unprecedented. Since 2021, dental prosthetics funded by the military at civilian clinics have been provided to four conscripts and three professional service members. However, the critical legal question is whether the general’s injury can be classified as duty-related, which would entitle him to such care, or whether it was a personal health matter unrelated to his official role.
The case has now been referred to court, though no trial date has been set. Both defendants remain free pending proceedings.
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