Legislation, Lithuania, Port, Transport

International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Tuesday, 19.03.2024, 09:00

Klaipeda port CEO Vaitkus sacked

BC, Vilnius, 25.03.2019.Print version
Arvydas Vaitkus has been sacked as chief executive officer of the Klaipeda State Seaport Authority, Lithuanian Transport and Communications Minister Rokas Masiulis said on Monday, acknowledging that the move might cost him his own job, informed LETa/BNS.

"Today I signed a decree to dismiss Vaitkus from his post," Masiulis said at a news conference. 


"Mr. Vaitkus said today that he was cancelling his recusal from decisions on certain port companies. (...) This requires an immediate reaction. I received the management board's opinion today, too. The board also doubts that Mr. Vaitkus can fully perform his duties," the minister said.    


"In light of these circumstances, Mr. Vaitkus is being dismissed from the CEO's duties," he added. 


According to the minister, the port authority is a strategic state enterprise that must meet the highest transparency standards.


Vidmantas Paukste, the port's director of infrastructure, will temporarily take over the CEO's duties starting Tuesday.


Vaitkus earlier this month ran for mayor in Klaipeda as the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union's candidate. He lost the mayoral the race to the incumbent mayor, but won a seat on the port city's council.


According to the transport minister, Vaitkus' move to cancel his recusal from decisions regarding businesses that supported his election campaign creates an evident conflict of interest that cannot be tolerated.


"Back at the port (after the temporary electoral leave), how can he oversee his political partners objectively? And even more so after he cancelled his recusal today. This is a direct conflict (of interest) that can cast a shadow over the whole port," he said. 


Last week, Masiulis initiated a broader probe into a potential conflict of interest involving Vaitkus and his subordinates, sending inquiries to the Chief Official Ethics Commission, the Governance Coordination Center and the Klaipeda port's management board.  


LFGU leader Ramunas Karbauskis told BNS after meeting with the port's CEO last week that Vaitkus could continue in his job, dismissing conflict of interest allegations as unfounded.  


The public broadcaster Lithuanian Radio and Television (LRT) reported in January that people linked to one another through Klaipeda businesses had donated 44,000 euros for the LFGU's election campaign in the port city.


Reportedly, these included Igor Udovickij, a Klaipeda businessman dubbed "the king of Belarusian fertilizers", and his wife.


Other LFGU candidates who won seats on the Klaipeda council include Vidmantas Dambrauskas, the CEO of Biriu Kroviniu Terminalas (Bulk Cargo Terminal), and Arunas Tuma, the owner of Kamineros Grupe. Both men made the maximum allowed donations of almost 8,800 euros each to the LFGU election campaign.






Search site