Lithuania's Chief Official Ethics Commission (VTEK) ruled on Tuesday that Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė committed a serious breach of the law by taking family members with her on official trips to Italy and the Vatican.
In February, Ruginienė was accompanied by her husband to the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. In March, she travelled to the Vatican to meet the Pope, accompanied by her husband, daughter and son.
In both cases, the composition of the official delegations was approved by Ruginienė herself, while the travel expenses of her family members were paid from the state budget.
The ethics watchdog ordered her to reimburse the costs associated with her relatives' travel.
Ruginienė disagrees with the ruling and intends to lodge an appeal.
“The prime minister has repeatedly stated that all decisions were made in accordance with the applicable rules and protocol requirements. We believe this case raises questions about the relationship between legal norms and long-established practice, so it is natural that VTEK's assessment will be challenged in court,” her spokesperson, Ignas Algirdas Dobrovolskas, told BNS.
“We expect the court to help provide definitive answers to questions that are relevant to the broader practice of state institutions,” he added.
According to the spokesperson, Ruginienė acted in line with established practice for forming official delegations, which has been applied for many years during visits by the country's highest-ranking officials.
“That is precisely why, back in March, a request was submitted to VTEK asking for a clear assessment of this practice,” he said.
Social Democrats: ruling provides greater clarity
A representative of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) said the ruling would provide greater clarity for other politicians.
“Questions about situations like this have been raised for some time, so it is important that VTEK has now provided an assessment and established a clearer precedent,” LSDP spokesman Andrius Grumadas said in a comment to BNS on Tuesday.
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