The wife of former Lithuanian prime minister and Social Democrat Gintautas Paluckas has been formally named as a suspect in a pre-trial investigation, the news portal Delfi reported on Thursday, citing two independent sources.
The Prosecutor General's Office neither confirmed nor denied the information, stating that all information about the investigation that can be made public has already been released.
"In response to your enquiry, we can confirm that all publicly available information about the investigation has been provided and will be supplemented once doing so no longer jeopardises the inquiry," said Rita Stundienė, spokeswoman for the Prosecutor General's Office.
A similar response was given by Renata Keblienė, spokeswoman for the Special Investigation Service (STT).
"For now, investigators and supervising prosecutors have taken the position that any more detailed information could harm the investigation. Pre-trial investigative actions are under way, and data is being collected and assessed," she said.
Paluckas' wife Ilma Paluckė herself declined to comment.
Background
In February, Paluckas was questioned by the STT as a special witness in a pre-trial investigation into possible abuse of office and illicit enrichment.
Last summer, following investigative journalism reports about Paluckas' past, business connections and alleged suspicious transactions, he resigned as prime minister at the end of July, prompting the government to step down in early August.
Sinkevičius: Paluckas is weighing his options
Mindaugas Sinkevičius, who succeeded Paluckas as Social Democrat leader, said on Thursday he had no knowledge of the suspected charges against Paluckė.
"Paluckas's wife is his wife – if it were my wife, I would know more. I genuinely know nothing beyond what has been made public," he said.
Asked whether prosecutors might also be seeking to charge Paluckas himself, Sinkevičius said only the Prosecutor General could answer that.
"[Only the Prosecutor General knows – LRT] when, or whether, she will come to the parliament and with what requests. I genuinely do not know whether or when that is planned," he said, adding that he had not discussed the matter with Paluckas directly.
Sinkevičius said he did not believe Paluckas had become a greater burden to the party as a result of Thursday's news.
"I think he will keep his word – but let us wait for the prosecution's next steps, whenever or if ever they come.
It is very difficult to speculate about the future right now. His position was that he is reflecting on what he would do if the Prosecutor General comes to the parliament and requests that his legal immunity be lifted.
He is weighing things up – as a politician, as a person, as a leader, as a former prime minister. But naturally he is still deliberating and has not yet made a decision," Sinkevičius said.
He added that Paluckas was an experienced politician and was capable of making the right decision once he had properly assessed the circumstances and the situation facing the party.
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