Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas resigned on Thursday amid an ongoing investigation into potential financial crimes by firms linked to him.
“I informed the president about an hour ago that I took the decision to resign from my duties as the prime minister,” Paluckas said in a statement.
He added that he was also leaving his post as the head of the Social Democratic party.
“Despite my decision to leave my current duties, I will continue to defend my honour and dignity and I’m waiting for the conclusions of the investigations, which I’m sure will separate the facts from insinuations,” he said.
Earlier Thursday, local media reported that Lithuania’s Financial Crimes Investigation Service (FNTT) searched the offices of Dankora, a company belonging to Paluckas’s sister-in-law.
The firm used EU funds to buy battery systems from Garnis, a company partly owned by Paluckas.
Investigative reporters in Lithuania first revealed in May that the same company partly owned by Paluckas received a subsidised state loan when he was already head of government.
The country’s authorities then launched a probe, which is ongoing.
Journalists later revealed more cases of alleged corruption, some of which are now also under investigation.
Paluckas was previously convicted of abuse of office while serving as the director of the Vilnius City municipal administration. He was fined.
ben-amj/dt/yad
© Agence France-Presse
