Formal charges brought against Lithuania's former Liberal leader
Xinhua, May 25, 2016 Adjust font size:
Lithuanian prosecutors on Tuesday questioned the former leader of Lithuania's Liberal movement Eligijus Masiulis and brought formal charges on influence peddling and unlawful enrichment against him.
On Tuesday, Masiulis and his lawyer visited the country's prosecutor general's office to testify in the probe on alleged large-scale corruption.
"I do not agree with the charges," Masiulis told journalists after the interrogation.
He vowed to cooperate with the prosecutors and declined to comment about large sums of cash investigators have found at his home.
Two weeks ago, Masiulis himself asked the country's central electoral commission to cancel his parliamentary mandate. By giving up his seat in the country's parliament a few days ago, Masiulis lost his parliamentary immunity hereby paving the way for the prosecutors to bring suspicions against him.
Two weeks ago, Lithuania's special investigation service (STT) launched a probe on alleged large-scale corruption involving Masiulis and one of the country's largest business conglomerates MG Baltic.
According to STT data, representatives of a local business offered a bribe of around 100,000 euros (111,433.78 U.S. dollars) to Masiulis. Soon after, Masiulis resigned from the party's leaders and suspended his membership. Enditem