Mufti denies human trafficking allegations and pledges cooperation

Romas Jakubauskas, mufti of the First Muftiate, Lithuania’s spiritual centre for Sunni Muslims, has denied allegations of human trafficking and document forgery and says he is ready to cooperate with law enforcement, LRT reported Monday.

Jakubauskas told TV3’s news portal that he had rejected the allegations when they were presented to him. He said they were issued at an early stage of the pre-trial investigation, before the circumstances had been established, and claimed all suspects received identical notices without regard to their roles or duties.

He said he trusted law enforcement to conduct an objective investigation and would not comment further on the case while it was ongoing. Jakubauskas said workers had been recruited by an agency in the Philippines, which promised them conditions without agreement from Lithuanian employers. He added that information given to Filipino workers before their arrival matched what was provided to the Migration Service and the conditions they found in Lithuania.

Jakubauskas said he mostly conducted candidate interviews and information sessions by video conference, and interpreted briefings before workers began jobs at meat-processing facilities. He said Lithuanian citizens and workers from Ukraine, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, India and Nigeria worked under the same conditions.

The investigation concerns 140 Filipinos who worked at poultry plants in Rudamina and Kaišiadorys. LRT reported in May that allegations had been brought against the companies FA Solutions and World Halal Trust. In late September, prosecutors said seven individuals had also been formally suspected and 64 people had been recognised as victims.

Jakubauskas told TV3 that he founded World Halal Trust and now works there as an Islamic law expert and translator. He said he has never had employment, management, shareholder or other business ties with FA Solutions.

The pre-trial investigation began last November. After the allegations against Jakubauskas emerged, the Lithuanian Tatar Communities Union distanced itself from him, citing a desire to protect its reputation and neutrality in the investigation.