Lithuanian state security body: journalist was involved in blackmail for MG Baltic

The document addressed to the parliament’s Committee on National Security and Defense (NSGK), a copy of which was obtained by BNS, contains excerpts from correspondence between Dapkus, the group’s top executives and politicians.

According to the document, which was signed by VSD Director Darius Jauniškis, Dapkus became “an intermediary representing the interests of MG managers who not only establishes contacts with politicians and state officials, but also collects information useful for himself and for the group, later using it as a tool of manipulation and/or blackmail”.

The document describes various political processes and situations in Vilnius’ local authority, Lietuvos Geležinkeliai, the State Tax Inspectorate, the Competition Council, and other authorities and organizations.

The intelligence says that in many cases it was done via an unnamed person with whom Dapkus has very close ties.

According to officials, MG Baltic and Dapkus were interested in an e-health project and took active efforts to control the situation in the Center of Registers.

Dapkus’ plans in the IT sector are allegedly linked to an unnamed person active in that business area. That person maintains close contacts not only with the journalist, but also with the latter’s “intermediation partner”, a former KGB officer. The intelligence say that these persons were linked by common commercial interests.

According to the document, activities by MG Baltic’s people pose a threat to national security in that they can destabilize the democratic political system.

Dapkus and MG Baltic’s spokespeople told BNS that they would comment on the situation after reading the document.

Elena Martinonienė, spokeswoman for the Prosecutor General’s Office, told BNS that Dapkus did not have the status of a suspect in any pre-trial investigation.

The daily Lietuvos Rytas in late April published what it said were excerpts from emails between President Dalia Grybauskaitė and Eligijus Masiulis, a former Liberal Movement leader suspected in a political corruption case.

In one of the excerpts, Grybauskaitė wrote that Tomas Dapkus “speaks nonsense” about Evaldas Pašilis, which was at that time a candidate for prosecutor general, and suggested “giving regards” to MG Baltic President Darius Mockus, telling him “to take his hound away”.