VILNIUS 's President Valdas Adamkus said on Thursday that the country's law enforcement agencies should look into the business dealings of Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas' family.
Speaking on national radio, Adamkus said that the public deserved to know the truth about questions involving the business activities of the prime minister's wife, who owns a large stake in a top Vilnius hotel that has come under scrutiny in recent weeks.
In making his opinion known, the president all but sided with the opposition Conservatives in Parliament, who tried unsuccessful to form an ad hoc commission to probe the Kristina Brazauskiene's business.
"One year ago, I accepted the responsibility by appointing Algirdas Brazauskas Lithuania's prime minister. Today, as I see a dead-end situation, I declare that fundamental principles of the state and civil society may not be disregarded for the sake of political stability," Adamkus was quoted by the Baltic News Service as saying.
He suggested that it was the duty of the Special Investigation Service and state auditors to get to the bottom of any conflict-of-interest issue in the Brazauskas family business.
Prior to making his statement public, the president met with leading politicians, including Brazauskas himself, Parliamentary Chairman Arturas Paulauskas and Conservative leader Andrius Kubilius.
Earlier this week the president expressed his concern about the level of tension in society as a result of the unbroken chain of political scandals in the country.
