„I understand the journalists’ duty to inform. But I would like the information released to the public to be accurate,“ – Mindaugas Sinkevičius’s spouse posted on Facebook on Wednesday.
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She wrote this following the LRT investigation published on Wednesday. It states that upon A. Sinkevičienė’s return from maternity leave, a Public and International Relations Department was established at the Kaunas district municipality, where she became the head without competition as a civil servant whose performance exceeded expectations.
According to the investigation, A. Sinkevičienė also works half-time remotely as a public relations representative at Raudondvaris Manor, but her contacts are not publicly disclosed, and other employees say they have not heard of such a colleague.
According to the prime minister’s wife, the journalists’ investigation gives the impression that the municipality’s Public and International Relations Department was established just as she returned from maternity leave.
„The department was established much later, more than a year after I returned from maternity leave,“ she asserts.
According to A. Sinkevičienė, Raudondvaris Manor does not publish her contacts because her duties are not related to providing comments to the media.
I work with preparing texts, visual materials, and layouts. This type of work does not require publicly listed contacts and allows me to perform my duties remotely.
„I work with preparing texts, visual materials, and layouts. This type of work does not require publicly listed contacts and allows me to perform my duties remotely,“ – is stated in the prime minister’s wife’s position.
According to her, it is also untrue that she works remotely more often while serving as the head of the municipality’s Public and International Relations Department.
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„I could count on my fingers how many remote days I had while working as a head. Although the Labor Code allows me this possibility because I am raising two children under eight years old,“ A. Sinkevičienė explained.
When it was announced that she was appointed head of the department without competition, the prime minister’s wife explains that a civil servant can be appointed to a position in several ways.
„Therefore, following the procedure established by law and the results of the service performance evaluation, in July 2024, I was transferred to the position of head of the Public and International Relations Department,“ says A. Sinkevičienė.
According to her, the information that other Raudondvaris Manor employees do not know about her is also inaccurate.
„The question was asked to one colleague. From the publicly available information, I get the impression that she was asked if she could name the person responsible for media relations. She was not asked specifically about me, mentioning my name and surname. Therefore, the colleague answered that the institution’s head usually responds to media questions,“ wrote M. Sinkevičius’s wife.
„I would like journalists to apply the high standards they set for others to themselves as well. Both I and my colleagues received calls without prior warning that the conversations would be made public. Information about my work and duties has never been a secret. It is published in the declaration of private interests. I always perform my work holding myself to the highest standards. I never thought that my chosen professional path would turn into public accusations and that I would have to justify myself for it,“ she said.
The opposition wants an investigation
As BNS reported, in response to the journalistic investigation, representatives of the parliamentary opposition say that the situation should be checked by the relevant services, and the parliament’s Anti-Corruption Commission will decide next week whether to start an investigation.
The prime minister himself, M. Sinkevičius, says that his wife started her career before their marriage, and „a working and trusted woman should no longer cause surprise.“
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