Balčiūnas' two lawyers did not want their client detained.
Decisions in connection to remand of other two suspects – Romantic Hotel owner Dalia Kuklierienė and adviser to Panevėžys mayor Darius Šimėnas – will be made later on Wednesday.
In the case, suspicions were also brought against Panevėžys Mayor Vitalijus Satkevičius, a member of the conservative party, but he was not detained.
Panevėžys prosecutors, in cooperation with officers of the Special Investigation Service, are carrying out an investigation into jobbery, fraud and document forgery. It is suspected that municipal funds were illegally spent on the reconstruction of Romantic Hotel in Panevėžys.
The prosecutors explore a theory that there may have been a plan before the 2011 European Basketball Championship to unlawfully reconstruct the hotel, owned by Via Unica company, using the municipality's money.
According to the law-enforcement, a contract worth more than 2 million litas (EUR 580,000) was signed between Panevėžys municipality and the Lithuanian Basketball Federation in 2010 on organization of EuroBasket 2011, promotion of basketball and purchase of accommodation services, although both parties knew right away that the contract would not be properly executed and the bills for the tasks performed would have to be forged.
The Basketball Federation has refrained from comments about the suspicions brought against Balčiūnas.
Federation president shocked
Arvydas Sabonis, president of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation, said on Wednesday he was shocked at corruption charges brought against Mindaugas Balčiūnas, the federation's secretary general. A Panevėžys court earlier on Wednesday signed a warrant to detaine Balčiūnas for 20 days.
"Charges against Balčiūnas shocked us as the contract between the Lithuanian Basketball Federation and Panevėžys Municipality was not signed in secret. It was discussed by the city council, all city politicians, municipal lawyers, and a vote on it was held," Sabonis said in a statement.
"We are meeting our commitments, therefore prosecutors' statement that it was allegedly agreed in advance not to fulfill the contract surprised us very much and shocked us," Lithuania's legendary basketball player said.
Sabonis said LBF Executive Committee will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday when powers of the secretary general will be granted to another member of the LBF's staff.
