Court: Antonov to remain in custody until "Snoro" case verdict takes legal effect
Vladimir Antonov, former "Snoro" bank chief, will remain in custody until the Lithuanian Court of Appeal has examined the case and the verdict takes legal effect.
Antonov to remain in custody pending Court of Appeal decision
Vladimir Antonov, former chief of the bankrupt "Snoro" bank, will be held in custody until the guilty verdict in the "Snoro" criminal case takes legal effect. This was confirmed on Monday to the news agency ELTA by Venta Valaackiene, assistant to the chairman of the Lithuanian Court of Appeal for relations with the public, according to LRT.
"Antonov has been ordered detained until the verdict takes legal effect; he will be held in custody whilst the Lithuanian Court of Appeal examines the "Snoro" case. The verdict will take legal effect when the court announces its decision," ELTA quoted V. Valaackiene as saying.
The decision on detention until the verdict takes legal effect was made by the Vilnius Regional Court, which announced the sentence.
Return from France
According to the Prosecutor's Office, V. Antonov was transported to Lithuania by air last Friday at around 22.00 and handed over to convoy officers, who delivered him to the Vilnius District Police Headquarters detention facility. Lawyer Aivaras Alimas said on Monday that he had not yet had the opportunity to meet with his client: "From the detention facility he is to be transferred to prison; there can still be quarantine periods."
After the French Court of Cassation rejected V. Antonov's complaint on 13 May this year, the decision of the Rennes Court of Appeal issued on 3 April regarding the banker's extradition took legal effect. The Lithuanian Prosecutor's Office reported his detention in France in Baden in December of last year.
Verdict and appeals
V. Antonov was sentenced in absentia in Lithuania last November to imprisonment – he had been wanted since 2011. This verdict is not final: his lawyers have appealed it to the Lithuanian Court of Appeal. The first court hearing in the case is scheduled for 29 June.
In total, four appeals have been filed in the "Snoro" case: two relating to the convicted V. Antonov and Raimondas Baranauskas, the other two relating to other parties to the proceedings. The defender of R. Baranauskas is requesting that the court quash the guilty verdict, whilst V. Antonov is requesting that he be acquitted.
Charges and sentence
The Vilnius Regional Court last year found V. Antonov guilty of 8 offences. Both former "Snoro" chiefs – V. Antonov and R. Baranauskas – were sentenced to more than 10 years of imprisonment. A total of 105 million euros was to be confiscated from them jointly to the state.
Both businessmen were found guilty of misappropriation of "Snoro" assets valued at more than 509 million euros, embezzlement of assets of significant value, criminal bankruptcy and legalisation of criminally acquired assets. They were also convicted of fraudulent accounting practices, abuse of official position and falsification of documents relating to securities accounting associated with the bank.
The "Snoro" bankruptcy case was initiated on 16 November 2011. Because the former chiefs were in hiding abroad, Lithuania tried them in absentia – the law provides for such a possibility if a person avoids court. Russia had informed the Lithuanian General Prosecutor's Office that R. Baranauskas had been granted refugee status; V. Antonov is a Russian citizen.
Source: LRT