Baltic states have embraced democracy and joined the European Union, but are still accused of condoning corrupt practices. The abuses within the law enforcement community and the judiciary are an ongoing topic of discourse in U.S. when it comes to Lithuania. The recent and ongoing scandals show that the corruption of Lithuania’s judiciary is an escalating problem.
In 2019, a wide-ranging bribery scandal led to criminal charges against 12 senior judges, including a member of the Lithuanian Supreme Court. Stunningly, all charges against the 12 were dismissed by the end of 2021.
Recent articles appearing in US press and in Lithuania highlight the inheritance battle fought in Lithuanian courts and allegedly streets. Lithuanian business magnate, Raimondas Karpavicius, who before he passed away was one of the wealthiest business tycoons in Lithuania allegedly through manipulation and corruption left his estate to corrupt government officials and their shills comprised of corrupt law enforcement officials and known criminals.
The scandal involves the following facts and allegations. Upon Karpavicius passing, the ownership of his companies were improperly transferred to his brother, Henrikas Karpavicius, and Raimondas’ companion, Aiste Grybauskiene.
Henrikas surfaced in this matter in November 2018, during the last months of Raimondas’ life. He – together with Raimondas’ female friend – became the beneficiaries of an estate of €110 million. Once the tycoon was struct with illness, his previously estranged brother forbade his wife and son access to Raimondas, using private security personnel to sequester the ailing tycoon.
Sources close to Raimondas’ wife indicated that prior to his death, she and their son had documented a nefarious scheme to isolate the tycoon, expedite his demise is convinced that this was orchestrated through rampant and brazen corruption in Lithuania’s judiciary and law enforcement.
Experts hired by the tycoon’s family allege that corrupt members of law enforcement and the judiciary teamed up with Grybauskiene to seize the assets of the deceased businessman. To achieve this goal, Grybauskiene, enlisted Arunas Pukelis – known as a mobster in Lithuania, who reinvented himself as a businessman. Together, the pair schemed to defraud Raimondas’ legitimate beneficiaries of their legacy, using not only the corrupt law enforcement and the judiciary but also the media; A cadre of corrupt lawyers, prosecutors, judges, and other enablers were enlisted to execute the nefarious plot.
A civil case regarding Raimonds Karpavicius estate is currently before the Lithuanian Supreme Court. All prior rulings emanating from Lithuania’s lower courts are alleged to have been influenced by high-ranking law enforcement and judiciary officials.
It is alleged that through bribery, the lower courts determined that Raimondas Karpavicius expressed his desires in his Last Will & Testament, despite proof that he did not know what he was doing.
Raimondas’ family commissioned an independent examination, the results of which were completely at odds with the initial findings. This independent report stated that Raimondas could not understand his actions at the time he signed his Will.
This scandal has led to U.S. Congressional inquiries and a law enforcement investigation.
According to our sources U.S. Federal law enforcement community private investigations have led to U.S. law enforcement investigations in connection with judicial and police corruption related to case e3K-3-2-701/2024, a complex inheritance dispute. According to law enforcement affiliated sources within the U.S. federal law enforcement community, a case has been opened that implicates certain U.S. nationals and Lithuanian law enforcement officials.
Lithuania’s rule of law and corruption within its judiciary should matter to Americans because it is a nascent democracy that gets financial support from U.S. and Europe.
U.S. provides substantial financial support to Lithuania as well as the other former Soviet satellite Baltic states. Since its exit from Soviet Union, Lithuania has become a trusted strategic ally of the United States.
Defense cooperation serves as the linchpin of the U.S.-Lithuania bilateral relationship. From 2017 to 2022, the U.S. State Department provided $279.75 million in Foreign Military Financing to Lithuania, with an additional $8.9 million in funds designated for International Military Education & Training. To wit, the American taxpayer is invested in Lithuania.
It is encouraging that U.S. federal law enforcement officials and elected officials are investigating corrupt Lithuanian officials, and are making inquiries about escalating allegations of corruption in Lithuania’s courts and law enforcement sectors.
