Vilnius court examined witnesses in Belarusian spy’s case

Vilnius district court has finished examination of witnesses in the criminal case opened against Romuald Lipski over espionage for Belarus.

The examination of the case is to be continued on April 20, and it is to be announced then whether the materials of the case are to be read out behind the closed doors or in an open session. The prosecutor asks not to disclose part of the materials in the case, ru.DELFI.lt informs.

Three witnesses were examined on Wednesday. They claimed they didn’t know Lipski, but all of them knew the Belarusian agent, Syarhei Kurulenka (Sergei Kurulenko).

Last week the State Security Department of Lithuania (VSD) informed that an officer of the Main Intelligence directorate of the Belarusian General Staff (GRU) Kurulenka had recruited two agents: he was provided information by Romuald Lipski and a paramedic of the Lithuanian Army Andrei Oshurkov. Oshurkov was also charged with committing espionage activities against Lithuania, he is to stand trial.

A night club dancer Ksenia Lukashevich said in the court that she met Kurulenka in Vilnius when he helped her to change a tyre, it was an incidental acquaintance. She said he didn’t ask her to provide any information.

Giedrė Petrauskienė, who works in the tourism industry in Ukmergė, said that he employed the Belarusian for some time, but their joint business was not successful.

Valdis Korizna, a common-law husband of Kurulenka’s sister, was questioned as a witness as well.

Lipski, a suspect, is a dweller of Vilnius, he was detained almost a year ago, and is still in custody.

In November 2014 the Office of Prosecutor General of Lithuania and the State Security Department informed that Lipski was charged with espionage for Belarus. The court examined 7 volumes of the case papers with 1,300 documents and 26 carriers with video and audio records.

The office of the Prosecutor General states that the suspect, who had been working in a dispatching office of the company “Oro navigacija” at the moment, was secretly making pictures of documents and other objects in his office, and forwarded the pictures to the GRU of Belarus.

He is charged with espionage activities and is facing deprivation of liberty for a term of 3 to 15 years. Lipski pleads not guilty.

Photo: DELFI