Lithuanian communications specialist Karolis Žukauskas has indicated that he suspects that supporters of the Nemunas Dawn party are involved in an illegal financing scheme, and this has led renewed scrutiny on the party’s finances.
Žukauskas made calls, during which he introduced himself to the party’s supporters as an employee of the Nemunas Dawn finance department. This was allegedly done to verify suspicions that some of the officially declared donations to the party did not come from the donors’ own funds. The communications specialist said that he tried to test his hypothesis, and at least for himself he confirmed it.
He called the individuals listed on the party’s donation lists and offered cash if the donors transferred the same amount to the party from their private bank accounts. Such an action would violate Lithuania’s extremely strict political party financing rules, which govern who can donate and how much. Some of the people Žukauskas approached did not perceive the offer as unusual, and one person even agreed to the proposed location for the money transfer.
Žukauskas described the calls as a provocation, and indicated that if the person was not already familiar with such a scheme, they would be surprised.
Authorities recently closed a pre-trial investigation into the sources of funding for Nemunas Dawn.
Prosecutors indicated that criminal liability would only arise if the party had received at least 25,000 euros in illegal donations, but the total amount of the questionable transfers did not reach that amount.
Lithuania’s Central Election Commission (VRK) is conducting its own investigation into the party’s finances, including possible payments through third parties. The VRK has received permission from the prosecutor’s office to use the materials of the suspended pre-trial investigation.
Robertas Puchovičius, vice-chairman of Nemunas Dawn, denied any violations, and stressed that neither the commission nor the prosecutor’s office had found any, and he saw no need to comment on something that had already been investigated. Puchovičius also said that some of the people Žukovskas had approached had reported the incident to the police. Meanwhile, Žukovskas indicated that he planned to submit the information obtained to the prosecutor’s office and the VRK.
The investigative journalism outlet Redakcija previously reported on the party’s financing, and journalist Birutė Davidonytė said that
sources indicated that some party members had deposited the same amount into their accounts before making the donation
on the same or the previous day. She added that this raises questions about the origin of the money and how it was used to finance the party before the elections, and that it could also be criminally obtained funds or foreign funding.
LRT was unable to obtain comments from the party’s chairman, Remigijus Žemaitaitis. Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė, meanwhile, said that Nemunas Dawn’s participation in the ruling coalition could be reassessed if there is serious evidence of violations.
The party won 15% of the vote in the 2024 parliamentary elections and has 18 seats in the Seimas.
Read the full article in English here: https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2844122/lithuanian-activist-uses-prank-calls-to-allege-violations-in-nemunas-dawn-campaign-funding
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