Banks, Financial Services, Legislation, Lithuania

The daily Lietuvos Rytas was informed by reliable sources that the Prosecutor General's Office has already signed permissions to carry out searches in one of the banks and in the homes of its management, writes LETA.

First, it was allowed to detain the heads of the first targeted bank, the name of which is not disclosed, and then it was planned to appeal to court on putting them in custody. This secret operation was commissioned to the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT). Even though the operation is still in the preparatory stage, some of the officers are already seeking ways to avoid it. "I do not want to be part of one of the blackest campaigns in Lithuania's history. The plan is incomprehensible and violates any principles of the rule of law," a high law enforcement officer told the daily Lietuvos Rytas on condition of anonymity.

According to the information available to the daily, the operation is aimed to clean out Lithuanian banks from the country as they cause problems to the government because they can influence the political life of Lithuania, unlike foreign banks. What is more, it is allegedly said that there had been an agreement to open the Lithuanian market wider for powerful foreign banks.