Birštonas Mayor Nijolė Dirginčienė faces appeal in expense fraud case

The Kaunas Regional Prosecutor and the Special Investigation Service (STT) have presented new findings in the ongoing legal case involving Nijolė Dirginčienė, the Mayor of Birštonas. During a hearing at the Court of Appeal in Vilnius, prosecutors revealed that a fuel receipt for a hearse, owned by the company Šilutės komunalininkas, was included in the mayor's expense reports.

Previously, a first-instance court acquitted Dirginčienė in January, citing insufficient evidence and an incomplete pre-trial investigation. However, the prosecutor has appealed that decision. The case involves allegations that between 2019 and 2020, the mayor used 27 different bank cards to settle fuel expenses, including those belonging to her spouse, sons, daughter-in-law, and a council member.

While most cardholders have been identified, investigators are still working to determine the owners of cards issued by Swiss and Austrian banks. Prosecutors have requested additional time and resources to identify the remaining cardholders using new algorithms.