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15 minutes published a study this week which revealed that Lithuania has an “incognito” millionaire. This is a little-known Lithuanian Vitoldas Tomaševskis, whose impressive wealth leads east. He is linked to Yuri Chizu, a former businessman in the vicinity of Belarusian President Aliaksandr Lukashenko, companies on the European Union sanctions list, a Russian tycoon, and projects in Kaliningrad.
V.Tomaševskis is also related to Lithuania, visits here, owns property, owns shares in a company engaged in amber trade and was associated with the Palace of Trade Unions on Taurus Hill in Vilnius. Luxury real estate in the West is also associated with the Lithuanian name V.Tomaševskis: Switzerland and Spain. However, it is not possible to determine the final list of V.Tomaševskis interests in Lithuania and in the world, because, according to the data of the registries, the services are provided by the law firm and the property management firm Lewben which operates in Lithuania. It manages clients’ businesses through a complex network of offshore companies, where it is difficult to identify the true owners of the businesses.
VIDEO: 15-minute poll: Exclusive plane reveals ‘incognito’ of Lithuanian millionaire
15 minutes In the study, we discussed why trade relations with Eastern European countries can present risks to national security. It is also about transparency issues, where law firms and offshore companies are covered as a veil so that the public does not know who the true owners of the company are.
For Russia, Belarus, China, business is a means of influence
M. Laurinavičius, chief analyst at the Vilnius Institute for Political Analysis, wrote on his Facebook that doing business with Russia, Belarus, China and similar countries is a potential threat to Lithuania’s national security. Big business is a potentially big threat. 15 minutes He explained why there was a risk.
“Russia, Belarus and China, we could mention some other countries, doing business with them is a threat because business as such is a means of influencing all these countries: Russia, Belarus, China and some kind of Kazakhstan.” This has been demonstrated more than once that it is through business that influence is exercised, ”said M. Laurinavičius.
He argued that international practice and international research could be trusted. According to him, Foreign Affairs, one of the world’s most influential international political magazines, recently wrote about the strategic export of kleptocracy and corruption, with two countries named as the main ones: Russia and China.
“And the third aspect, which is very important, is understanding that Russia and Belarus are mafia states.” They’re just criminal ties, let’s take a look at all the recent money laundering scandals, all ends go to the top of the Kremlin. Not only the business of some criminals, it is the state money laundering. All of those things – whether on the criminal side or on the influence side, in general, it’s pretty obvious that this is a very, very serious threat to national security, “said M. Laurinavičius.
Photo by Valdo Kopūstas / 15min / Marius Laurinavičius
He argued that there is a misconception among the public that the influence of hostile states is exercised only through special services, since in many cases influence is exerted precisely through trade relations.
“Let’s take a Paksas scandal, examine it and see how all the Russian contacts went through the business. Usually we imagine that some special operations are affected or some special operations are carried out only through special services. No, this It is completely false. Today, countries like Russia carry out their influence operations very often through business, “said the political expert.
M. Laurinavičius stated that some 15 minutes The relations of the Lithuanian companies V.Tomaševskis mentioned in the investigation raise questions for him.
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