Lithuania’s Special Investigation Service (STT) is investigating Agriculture Deputy Minister Arūnas Jagminas over alleged embezzlement and abuse of office, conducting searches at his home Friday, the agency confirmed.
“STT is carrying out procedural actions related to a pretrial investigation concerning possible corruption-related crimes by the head of Šilutės Sportas, managed by Šilutė district municipality. The current agriculture deputy minister, Arūnas Jagminas, is suspected of embezzlement and abuse of office. Searches were conducted at the deputy minister’s residence,” the agency said in a statement to BNS.
According to the investigation, Jagminas, while serving as the director of a private company, allegedly misused his official position and embezzled high-value property belonging to the company.
Jagminas was the director of the Šilutė construction firm Šilutės Polderiai from 2010 to 2022 and has been a member of the district municipal council since 2022.
BNS reported in November 2025 that a pretrial investigation was underway concerning the head of Šilutės Sportas, Dainius Gricevičius, who was suspended from office by court order for six months, for alleged corruption-related crimes.
Investigators say Gricevičius may have abused his official position to gain financial benefits and misappropriated high-value assets under his control, belonging to the organisation. Allegations include manipulation of salaries for teams under Šilutės Sportas, misuse of informal training funds, and other organisational resources.
Šilutės Sportas oversees the town’s main basketball and football teams. In 2024, the organisation’s budget totalled €718,000, with the municipality providing the majority of financial support.
The investigation is ongoing, and no formal charges have yet been announced.
Calls for resignation
Jagminas has been delegated to the vice ministerial post by the Nemunas Dawn party.
The party’s chairman, Remigijus Žemaitaitis, said he is awaiting more information about the allegations before deciding whether Jagminas should resign.
“We need to wait for official information and then we will make the decision what to do,” he told BNS on Friday.
Meanwhile, the office of Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė has said Jagminas should step down without waiting for official charges.
“The prime minister trusts law enforcement institutions and her view is that the deputy minister should himself make the decision to leave his duties,” Ruginienė’s adviser Ignas Dobrovolskas told BNS.
The sentiment was echoed by the Ministry of Agriculture. “The Ministry agrees with the opinion communicated by the government,” Danguolė Starkuvienė, spokeswoman for the ministry, told Elta.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
