Saulius Skvernelis, a Lithuanian MP and former parliamentary speaker, has been ordered to wear an electronic ankle tag as part of a bribery investigation, prosecutors have confirmed.
"I don't agree with this decision. It is unlawful and does not serve the purposes set out for criminal proceedings," Skvernelis told LRT Television, adding that the measure gave the impression of being "an attempt to exert psychological pressure" on him rather than a genuine step in the criminal process.
The measure – one of the strictest short of pre-trial detention – can only be imposed by a court and allows authorities to track a suspect's movements and restrict where they can go. Breaching its conditions could see Skvernelis remanded in custody, according to Raimundas Jurka, a lawyer and professor at Mykolas Romeris University.
Investigators allege that between January and November 2025, Skvernelis received around €51,000 in cash bribes, funnelled to him monthly in instalments of €5,000–€10,000 through his adviser, Agnė Silickienė.
She also worked at Lithuania's State Plant Service, headed by Jurijus Kornijenko, who faces separate bribery charges.
Prosecutors say the money originated from a wider bribery scheme within the State Plant Service, part of the agriculture ministry, in which officials allegedly demanded payments, around €250 per certificate, from companies transporting plants and plant products, in exchange for issuing phytosanitary certificates without inspecting the cargo.
The scheme is estimated to have generated more than €1.1m in illicit payments.
Prosecutors allege Skvernelis used his position to help secure favourable decisions for those involved, in return for a cut of the proceeds.
The case forms part of a broader investigation that has already led to charges against 16 people, including former MP Kazys Starkevičius, who has admitted taking a bribe of about €20,000.
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