VILNIUS - Russian citizen Yuri Borisov, once Rolandas Paksas' most generous financial sponsor, continued his battle for the right to reside in Lithuania last week, with his attorney appealing the migration department's June 29 decision to prohibit the businessman from obtaining permanent residency.
Labeling Borisov, who was stripped of his citizenship in December of last year by the Constitutional Court, a threat to national security, the department delivered a request to the Vilnius District Administrative Court to issue him a deportation order.
Under current laws, a person may be deported only by a court decision. Borisov's attorney, Adomas Liutvinskas, said the decision was biased and needed to be reviewed.
"We are critical about the decision of the migration department because the officers mention the same circumstances and facts as they did in the previous conclusion that the court had returned for consideration. There are no new facts, except that they are rearranged," Liutvinskas told The Baltic Times. "We hope that the court solves the case objectively."
Immediately following the department's decision, Borisov's attorney said that the conclusion would definitely be appealed, and three days later he submitted a complaint to the court asking for his client's permission to reside permanently in Lithuania.
The deportation battle has been continuing for more than six months, but now that a new president has been elected, there is an air of urgency to bring closure to the case. On March 22 the court upheld a complaint by Borisov and obliged the migration department to reconsider the request of Borisov to live in Lithuania.
Still, in spite of Liutvinskas' arguments, migration department chief Almantas Gavenas said that the previous decision demonstrated stronger arguments based on special investigative reports about Borisov and his activities as head of Avia Baltika, a helicopter repair company.
Gavenas emphasized that politics had not influenced the decision. If the Vilnius District Administrative Court consents to the migration department's request, Borisov will still have an opportunity to appeal the decision to the Supreme Administrative Court, which would ultimately decide his fate.
On previous occasions, Borisov has stated that he would remain in the country. However, the businessman and Paksas' flying partner was no longer as confident upon hearing the migration department's decision.
"If there are any laws in the country, it will have to be as I said before. If the laws are breached, it is difficult to foresee," Borisov told the Baltic News Service.
Borisov, who has significant personal property and business interests in Lithuania, was named in several criminal cases currently pending in Lithuanian courts. Not only is Borisov a witness in a case involving Paksas, who was accused of revealing national secrets, but he is also named as a suspect for threatening Paksas after his phone calls were tapped by the State Security Department.
Relations between Paksas and Borisov were one of the main topics discussed in the presidential impeachment trial. Controversy rose especially around the 2002 presidential election, when Borisov's Avia Baltika helicopter repair firm transferred 1.2 million litas (350,000 euros) in assistance to Paksas' presidential campaign.
As a sign of gratefulness, Paksas signed a presidential decree to grant Borisov Lithuanian citizenship - which the businessman had earlier renounced in favor of Russian citizenship - one month after taking office.
The Constitutional Court later resolved that the president's action amounted to remuneration for election campaign support and ultimately revoked Borisov's citizenship.
Borisov, who does not speak Lithuanian, is further accused of intending to become Paksas' advisor and trying to influence the structure of the president's team.
Prosecutors, however, do not see Borisov's participation in the cases as a requirement for him to stay in the country.
Although Borisov was previously asked to sign a written commitment to remain in the country due to the legal investigations, general prosecutors have never objected to the suspect of a criminal offence being deported from Lithuania.
"Lithuania is unwilling that an undesirable person would continue to live in Lithuania," said General Prosecutor Antanas Klimavicius.
