VILNIUS 's Parliament on Tuesday approved President Valdas Adamkus' decision to dismiss Valentinas Junokas, director of the Special Investigation Service, who wanted to resign.
Junokas has come under fire for a series of investigations that were made public just recent elections, eliciting a wave of accusations that the SIS had targeted specific political factions and thereby skewed the poll's results.
Junokas told parliamentarians last week that he wanted a quieter life and that by his resignation he sought to avoid speculations about SIS-launched investigations related with politicians.
Special Investigation Service investigations have led to a case against Vilnius Mayor Arturas Zuokas and a pretrial investigation into possible bribery of parliamentarians. Three MPs were forced to resign after falling under suspicion that they had taken bribes from a private company for help in adopting favorable laws.
As a result of the investigations, relations between Parliament and the SIS have come under tension.
Junokas was appointed as SIS director for a five-year tenure in June 2000.
The SIS director is appointed and dismissed by the president with Parliament's approval.
