The Lithuanian government on November 28 dismissed Mantas Staskevicius from his job as director of the country’s State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT) amid corruption suspicions.
“There’s probably nothing much to discuss here. Mr. Staskevicius is being dismissed from his post as of today,” Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte told the cabinet.
A week ago, Simonyte suspended Staskevicius from office and called on him to resign.
The move came after law enforcement authorities said they suspected the director and three other VMVT officials of “systematic corruption”.
According to allegations, Staskevicius and the other suspects may have regularly demanded bribes from businesses. Law enforcement officials said they had found 300,000 euros in cash during searches as part of their investigation.
Staskevicius handed in his resignation on November 25, according to the Government. (LRT/Business World Magazine)