Lithuanian law enforcement authorities have completed a high-profile pre-trial investigation into the murder of Remigijus Morkevičius, a well-known mixed martial artist and kickboxer.
The case has been handed over to the court, and charges have been brought against Estonian citizen Imre Arakas, the Prosecutor General’s Office said on Monday.
The investigation was opened after the attempted murder of G.Z. on the night of July 22, 2016. The victim was shot with a firearm with a silencer, but he survived after emergency medical assistance by ambulance medics.
On December 21 of the same year, Morkevičius was murdered in Kaunas in front of his house by shots fired from an automatic firearm.
During the investigation of both crimes, it was suspected that the perpetrator might be Arakas, an Estonian citizen with several convictions.
Milda Kryžė, a spokeswoman for Kaunas Regional Court, told BNS that Arakas was remanded in custody until July 4.
Arakas, who is known to European law enforcement, was arrested in Ireland in 2017 when he was preparing to kill a well-known Irish criminal.
In December 2018, he was found guilty by an Irish court and sentenced to six years in prison. After serving his sentence in Ireland, the Estonian was handed over to Lithuanian law enforcement in January last year for prosecution for crimes committed in Lithuania.
According to the prosecutor’s office, after being questioned and informed about the investigation, Arakas pleaded guilty to both charges against him. He has five convictions in Estonia.
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