“The VSD has submitted its findings to the Migration Department regarding the activities of 22 Belarusian citizens in Lithuania – individuals employed at a technology company have been declared a threat to Lithuania’s national security. Their temporary residence permits have been revoked,” the VSD said in a post on social platform Facebook.
“The individuals posing a threat to national security have been expelled from Lithuania and a re‑entry ban has been applied. All 22 individuals are subject to a five‑year ban on entering the Schengen area,” the intelligence agency added.
According to the VSD, the expelled citizens were working at a company involved in a project of the European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) that fraudulently obtained nearly EUR 0.5 million funding.
As reported, on 1 September, Vilnius Regional Court convicted two Belarusian citizens of fraud in obtaining EU funding in a project managed by the EUSPA.
The Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT) stated that the defendants admitted their guilt and compensated EUR 447,272 for the incurred damage. They were convicted of fraud in illegally obtaining EU funding, a crime committed with other individuals, as well as of document forgery and the use of forged documents
According to the FNTT, the investigation found that the father and son concealed their ties to Russian and Belarusian military industry. The investigation was organised by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and carried out by the FNTT in cooperation with the VSD.