The Supreme Court judged that courts had improperly applied the criminal law, unjustifiably found Sinkevičius guilty and convicted him of abuse of office, document forgery, possession of a falsified document and misappropriation of assets.
The Supreme Court annulled decisions of the court of first instance and the Court of Appeal and terminated the case against the politician. The ruling is final and cannot be challenged.
The court stated that accusations against Sinkevičius should have only been linked to general standards of behaviour for politicians and officials concerning the adjustment of public and private interests in the public service, for which only disciplinary action may be taken.
As reported, before the case went to court, Sinkevičius repaid more than EUR 4,000 to the municipal budget, an amount several times greater than he was accused of misspending.
Sinkevičius was accused of causing nearly EUR 1,500 in damages to Jonava District Municipal Administration in 2019-2023 by submitting 16 forged financial documents. It was determined that the politician used public funds to buy a TV set for personal use, pay for internet TV services and his spouse’s phone bills. The politician said there was a mix up when submitting invoices to the council and repaid EUR 4,000 for any potential damages.
Previously, public figure and TV host Andrius Tapinas launched a transparency campaign revealing potential misuse of public funds on municipal councillors’ expenses allowances.
Social Democratic leader Vilija Blinkevičiūtė says that Sinkevičius may now restore his party membership and return to politics. However, she pointed out that great damage was caused to him as a politician.
Sinkevičius was earlier considered as a potential prime minister and was ranked first among the party’s candidates in the 2024 parliamentary election. However, when he was convicted, he was moved to the last spot among the party’s candidates.
Sinkevičius, now 40, was deputy mayor of Jonava in 2008-2009, economy minister in 2016-2017, and mayor of Jonava district in 2019-2024.
