President appoints new head prosecutor

VILNIUS - Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite has officially nominated Darius Valys to become the country's new Prosecutor General.

Valys was formerly head prosecutor of Akmene town in northern Lithuania. He still has to be approved by the parliament before he is able to start his duties, but legislators are widely expected to rubber-stamp the president's candidate. 

Presidential spokesman Linas Balsys said that the candidate was named as suitable because of his objectivity, readiness for reforms and being not afraid of the responsibility.

Valys, for his part, said he would be ready to tackle problems with the justice system if approved by Seimas.

"I‘m lead to this post by the will to solve the problems, which I‘ve witnessed for the long time," Valys was quoted as saying by online news portal alfa.lt.

At just 37, he would be one of the youngest people to ever hold the post. Though the appointment would be for seven years, no prosecutor general to date has stayed on for the full period.