Lithuania's Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT) has launched a pre-trial investigation into a subsidised loan received by Garnis, a company partly owned by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, from the state development bank ILTE.
The FNTT said in a press release on Tuesday that the decision to launch the investigation was made last Thursday, adding that the probe concerns possible credit fraud.
"[The goal is] to thoroughly examine the circumstances surrounding the possible fraudulent acquisition of the 200,000-euro soft loan granted to Garnis by ILTE, and the possible use of those funds in the operations of Emus, another company controlled by the same shareholders," the agency said.
"At this stage of the pre-trial investigation, no formal suspicions have been brought against anyone. The pre-trial investigation is being led and supervised by the European Public Prosecutor's Office," it added.
Paluckas is a shareholder in both Garnis and Emus.
‘We expect an objective investigation’
Speaking to BNS on Tuesday, prime minister’s adviser Justinas Argustas said they “expected swift, objective, and fact-based results from the investigation, so that any doubts spread in the public domain can be dispelled as quickly as possible.”
A previous audit by the ILTE state bank found no wrongdoing, Argustas said.
“Now we’re seeing another investigation, so let’s wait for those results. The prime minister already commented yesterday that the ILTE audit and the facts gathered and confirmed there provide a very good and appropriate basis for other institutions conducting audits and investigations,” he said.
According to Argustas, it is natural for institutions to “do their job” after receiving various referrals.
“Any investigation is launched in order to clarify the circumstances,” which involves “checking the documents, talking to people, and verifying the information,” Argustas said.
“This does not personally concern the prime minister,” he added.
Laurynas Kasščiūnas, head of the opposition conservatives (TS-LKD), said Paluckas had to step down.
According to the adviser, Palcukas will comment on the investigation “in the near future”.
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