Lithuanian MP Skvernelis ordered to wear ankle tag in bribery probe
Prosecutors have confirmed that former parliamentary speaker Saulius Skvernelis must wear an electronic monitoring device as part of an investigation into bribery allegations.
Lithuanian prosecutors have confirmed that MP and former parliamentary speaker Saulius Skvernelis has been ordered to wear an electronic ankle tag as part of a bribery investigation. The measure, one of the strictest short of pre-trial detention, can only be imposed by a court and enables authorities to track a suspect's movements and restrict their whereabouts. Breaching the conditions could result in Skvernelis being remanded in custody, according to lawyer and professor Raimundas Jurka.
According to investigators, between January and November 2025, Skvernelis allegedly received around €51,000 in cash bribes, paid in monthly instalments of €5,000–€10,000. The payments were funnelled through his adviser, Agnė Silickienė, who also worked at Lithuania's State Plant Service, headed by Jurijus Kornijenko. Kornijenko faces separate bribery charges.
Prosecutors say the money originated from a wider bribery scheme within the State Plant Service, part of the agriculture ministry. Officials there allegedly demanded payments of approximately €250 per certificate from companies transporting plants and plant products, issuing phytosanitary certificates without inspecting the cargo. The scheme is estimated to have generated more than €1.1 million in illicit payments.
Prosecutors allege that Skvernelis used his position to help secure favourable decisions for those involved in the scheme, in return for a cut of the proceeds. This case is part of a broader investigation that has already led to charges against 16 people, including former MP Kazys Starkevičius, who has admitted to taking a bribe of about €20,000.
