Prosecutors end probe into recorder found at Social Democrats meeting

Prosecutors have terminated a pre-trial investigation into a pen with an integrated audio recorder found at a Lithuanian Social Democratic Party council meeting in April, LRT reported, citing the General Prosecutor’s Office.

A prosecutor from the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office decided to end the investigation after determining that no act bearing the elements of a crime or criminal misdemeanour had been established.

“After carrying out all necessary investigative actions, no indisputable and unequivocal factual circumstances or objective data were established or obtained to confirm that a criminal act had been committed in connection with the LSDP council meeting held on April 16 and the journalist’s pen recorder found there,” the prosecutor’s office said.

The decision may be appealed to a higher-ranking prosecutor.

During the investigation, law enforcement established that a black writing instrument belonging to a journalist had been found in the room where the LSDP council meeting was held. The pen contained an integrated audio recording device.

The prosecutor’s office said investigators had exhausted all available options but found no objective data confirming that the journalist had intentionally left the device there to record the closed meeting and collect information about the political party.

BNS reported that the Social Democrats suspected LRT journalist Eglė Samoškaitė of the action. The investigation was opened after LSDP members filed a complaint over the audio-recording device found at the party council meeting on April 16.