VILNIUS - President Valdas Adamkus said last week that he had lost confidence in Supreme Court Chairman Vytautas Greicius, a position that sparked a scandal in the government and has led to a call for a parliamentary probe in the president's job (see story on Page 1).
"The president has stated that he is losing confidence in Greicius not only as a judge, but also as a person," the president's spokeswoman told reporters after Adamkus' meeting with Greicius on April 6.
Clarifying her statement, she said that Adamkus had lost confidence in the Supreme Court chairman after circumstances involving the extension of a retired judge's term recently came to light.
Earlier this year, the Council of Courts, which is led by Greicius, held a meeting to discuss whether the judge should continue working at the Birzai district court after turning 65. During the Council of Courts' meeting, a security report on the candidate's inappropriate behavior in the past was inaccurately publicized.
The Supreme Court chairman said a State Security Department report, which was quite unfavorable to the judge, was read at the Council of Courts.
In Greicius' words, the president's representative heard the information and had to immediately inform the head of state about it.
The president's representative and several more members of the Council of Courts have not denied that such a report was presented at the meeting, but said they did not receive it in writing and therefore did not refer to the information.
After the Council of Courts decided to approve the judge's candidacy, the president signed a decree and the judge's term of office was extended. The judge stepped down last week.
Greicius said the State Security Department's report was sent to all members of the Council of Courts by e-mail.
Since returning to the presidency in 2004, President Adamkus has undertaken a sweeping campaign to imbue a sense of morality in domestic politics. As a result he has not hesitated in expression dissatisfaction with public officials, if not calling for their resignation. Recently when two of his closest advisers were implicated in a real estate scandal, he asked for their resignations immediately.
