Lithuania’s Ministry of Environment has decided that the director of Lithuania’s pavilion at EXPO 2020 in Dubai is innocent of unethical behaviour and sexual harassment charges brought forward by his employees, reports National Broadcaster LRT.
Six employees of the pavilion, in March 2022, appealed to the authorities to investigate and temporarily suspend Mantas Svečiulis, the director of the Lithuanian Pavilion at EXPO 2020 in Dubai, and its commissioner general Romas Jankauskas.
The Environment Ministry set up two commissions to investigate the charges.
One of them has concluded that Svečiulis did not properly declare his private interests, but rejected accusations of unethical behaviour and sexual harassment.
The report was shared with LRT.lt by Svečiulis’ lawyer. Meanwhile, Jankauskas, whom his employees accused of mobbing, has told LRT.lt that he has not yet received the investigation report regarding his case.
The commission’s report says that Svečiulis has not violated rules regarding conflict of interests. The Lithuanian pavilion employees alleged that the director used the official car and driver for personal purposes, such as driving his family and friends around Dubai and returning home after private parties.
Svečiulis was also accused of sexual harassment and disrespectful and unethical behaviour towards employees.
According to the employees’ appeal, the pavilion director «radically changed the way he dealt with» one female employee after she «refused to be touched and go to his apartment for coffee».
Back in spring, both Svečiulis and Jankauskas rejected accusations made against them but refrained from further comment.