Lithuanian politician Remigijus Žemaitaitis reports Facebook account hack

The political party Nemuno aušra claims the Facebook account of its leader, Remigijus Žemaitaitis, was hacked, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) reported Friday.

The party stated in a social media post that the account had been “illegally taken over” and blamed “phone scammers and bot farms working at full capacity.” The profile disappeared from Facebook search results late Thursday and early Friday before being partially restored later in the day.

The alleged hack follows raids conducted Thursday by Lithuania’s Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT) at Žemaitaitis’ home, the party’s headquarters, and the parliamentary offices of Žemaitaitis and fellow MP Daiva Petkevičienė. Authorities seized documents, phones, and computers as part of a pre-trial investigation into potential fraud linked to the lawmakers leasing their personal vehicles to the party.

The probe, launched in early March under Article 182(2) of the Criminal Code (“Fraud”), examines whether the MPs committed an offence by renting cars to Nemuno aušra while simultaneously using them for personal purposes. No formal charges have yet been filed.

In April, Lithuania’s Central Electoral Commission (VRK) ruled that the party had misused state funding by paying €49,500 in lease payments to Žemaitaitis and Petkevičienė without proper documentation. The VRK withheld a €240,000 semi-annual subsidy and ordered the MPs to reimburse €26,776 and €15,349, respectively. The party and the lawmakers have appealed the decision, with a court ruling expected June 10.