Belarusian KGB gives Vilnius mounted police chief to Lithuania

The Belarusian KGB set free the high-ranking police officer who had been detained earlier on alleged accusations of drug smuggling.

The company commander of the municipal mounted police of Vilnius Laimonas Bankauskas, who was detained some 10 days ago, was released in the evening on August 25. This information was spread by the Information and Public Relations Center of the Belarusian KGB.

“Citizen of Lithuania Laimonas Bankauskas has been released from custody by an investigator of the territorial body of the Belarusian KGB in accordance with part 4 of article 119 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Belarus as agreed by the prosecutor’s office of Hrodna region,” the says message of the Information and Public Relations Center posted on the KGB website.

Lithuanian president’s spokesman Linas Balsys told BNS in the evening August 25 that Bankauskas was in the Lithuanian Consulate in Hrodna, ru.DELFI.lt informs.

“Just after the incident happened, I addressed the Belarus leadership calling to investigate the situation as fast and objective as possible. This incident shouldn’t hinder development of our bilateral relations. The neighbouring country heard this and made a decision to give the detainee to Lithuania. I regard this as a result of consistent improvement of our relations,” Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said recently.

Laimonas Bankauskas was detained in the town of Ashmyany (Hrodna region) on August 16. 45.5 grams of amphetamine were found on him. Bankauskas was suspected of violation article 228 of the Criminal Code of Belarus (smuggling) and article 108 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Belarus (detention on a direct suspicion of committing a crime). The Lithuanian police officer was taken to a remand jail in Hrodna.

Bankauskas denied his guilt. His family says the drugs were planted on him.