As previously announced, renowned businessman Barštys shared images on social media of fishing at the Royal Horse Resort stables and complex in the Alytus district, which he owns. The footage shows Paluckas fishing alongside the recently convicted mayor of Druskininkai, Malinauskas.
In one of the videos, the Prime Minister is laughing and holding a giant fish he caught, while in another frame, Malinauskas is already cutting it up with a knife. However, it is difficult to determine whether the mayor of Druskininkai was actually with Paluckas at the time, as Malinauskas has not confirmed this to the media.
As the Prime Minister's adviser Tadas Vinokuras told the Lrytas portal on Monday, Paluckas travelled to the resort with his family and paid for the trip himself.
Susiję straipsniai
He booked the services and paid for them out of his pocket. Other people also visited the area simultaneously, which was a coincidence – their presence was unknown in advance. This was a private holiday trip for the Prime Minister and his family,' said Vinokuras.
Agnė Širinskienė, a member of the Democratic Union Vardan Lietuvos (In the Name of Lithuania), admitted that the still images from the video raise questions for her. Still, she is not inclined to disbelieve the Prime Minister's explanation.
'The photos look strange, but I have no reason to doubt the Prime Minister's explanation that they ended up there by accident. All sorts of things happen when you're in public places,' said Širinskienė.
„Clear statements are always needed; in such cases, they usually end all the talk. What I heard from the Prime Minister seems to be a clear enough statement that the man was travelling with his family and ended up in a public place with other people. Still, the mayor of Druskininkai has a different communication style,“ said the member of the Seimas when asked why. In her opinion, Malinauskas did not answer directly about whether he went fishing with the Prime Minister over the weekend.
Democrat Tomas Tomilinas said he had not yet had time to read the news about the Prime Minister's visit to Barštys, but from what he had seen, it did not raise any serious suspicions.
'I assume everything is fine, everything has been declared, until someone proves otherwise,' Tomilinas commented briefly.
Social Democrat faction leader Remigijus Motuzas also said he trusted Paluckas' word.
'Of course, questions may arise after seeing those photos, but we have a detailed explanation from government press spokesman Vinokuras that this is a coincidence. And knowing Paluckas, I believe that,' Motuzas told Lrytas.
However, the images surprised opposition representatives very unpleasantly. Liberal Movement leader Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen briefly described Paluckas' visit to Barštys, saying, ' we are returning to our roots.'
'The only thing that has changed is that the Prime Minister is no longer hunting useful people, but fishing. And judging by the amount of attention this fishing trip is receiving, it is clear that this was not an „insignificant“ coincidence, as they are now trying to claim,' the Liberal wrote on Facebook.
Mindaugas Lingė, leader of the Conservative faction in the Seimas, wondered what the Prime Minister had asked for in exchange for the 'golden fish caught in the pond of one of Lithuania's richest businessmen'.
„I wonder what Barštys asked Prime Minister Paluckas for in exchange for the fish?
Thank you, at least, to Barštys for revealing what kind of friends he spends his weekends with. It would be good if the most influential person in the country, the Prime Minister, would inform the public about whom he spends his time with and what they talk about.
And the company is certainly interesting: Ričardas Malinauskas has just been convicted in a corruption case and fined EUR 60,000. Tautvydas Barštys is avoiding testifying in the case of former prosecutors, lawyers, the chief investigator of the Financial Crime Investigation Service and the former Minister of the Interior, and has been fined for this,“ wrote Lingė.
Questions were also raised about another conservative, former Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas.
„I understand it is difficult for politicians in the highest positions to give up old habits (I would no longer call them hobbies). But still, even if you let your security go for the weekend (I don't know if family was with you) and go fishing with a businessman who is having a hard time testifying in a case and a scandalous mayor who is on trial for corruption and who is not only losing his memory but also cutting up your fish, questions inevitably arise. What coincidences brought them together in one place?
Options: A. A desire to influence political decision-makers? B. A willingness to spend time together and go fishing? C. A desire to show citizens his power and capabilities – who will be the next target of public opinion?
As previously reported by Lrytas, Barštys, one of the wealthiest business people in the country, failed to appear at the Kaunas Regional Court for the third time. He is required to testify in the case against former prosecutors.
The 15-minute portal announced that on Tuesday, 22 April, the Kaunas Regional Court extended the so-called ex-prosecutors' case, in which former prosecutors, the chief investigator of the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT), lawyers and even the former Minister of the Interior.
It was noted that the businessman had failed to appear at the hearing twice, so on 9 April, it was decided to force Barštys to appear at the next hearing.
However, the businessman did not appear in court this time either, so he was fined EUR 1,000.
At the same time, in April, the Kaunas Regional Court found Druskininkai Mayor Malinauskas guilty in a criminal case concerning possible corruption in the legal system and fined him EUR 60,000.
The mayor was found guilty of influence peddling. Malinauskas appealed the verdict.