Šarūnas Stepukonis detention extended by Lithuanian court

The Vilnius Regional Court has extended the detention of Šarūnas Stepukonis, a former partner at the BaltCap fund, for an additional three months. The decision, made in a closed session following a request from the European Public Prosecutor's Office, extends his detention from September 1 until December 1.

Court spokesperson Lina Nemeikaitė stated that protecting the public interest justifies the continued deprivation of liberty, noting that milder restrictive measures would be ineffective at this stage of the proceedings. Stepukonis is suspected of misappropriating more than 42 million euros from companies within the BaltCap infrastructure fund, a significant portion of which was reportedly lost to online gambling.

The investigation has expanded to include charges of fraudulent accounting. Previously, Stepukonis had been subject to various measures, including house arrest and a requirement to register with the police, which he reportedly violated. The suspect and his defense have 20 days to appeal the court's decision.