Prosecutors reopen probe into recording pen found at LSDP meeting

Lithuania’s prosecution service has reopened a pre-trial investigation into a recording pen found at a council meeting of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, LRT reported Thursday.

The investigation had been closed earlier this week. Following a review by a senior prosecutor, the decision adopted on August 4 was annulled because all circumstances relevant to the decision had not been properly assessed.

Additional investigative actions will now be carried out to comprehensively assess the circumstances relevant to the possible criminal classification of the conduct, how the pen recorder was left in the meeting room and its possible intended use, the prosecution service said.

The device was a black writing instrument belonging to LRT journalist Eglė Samoškaitė and containing an integrated audio recorder. Prosecutors previously said the investigation had not produced objective evidence that Samoškaitė intentionally left the device to record the closed party meeting or collect information about the political party.

The prosecutor who initially closed the investigation said suspicion or charges could not be based on assumptions. Prosecutor Stanislavas Barsulis told ELTA that the device contained no recording of the meeting and no information related to the meeting or the political party.

Samoškaitė has acknowledged that the pen belonged to her but said she did not deliberately leave it at the event and did not notice it was missing until later. She was previously questioned as a special witness and did not comment on the decision to reopen the investigation on Thursday.

LRT has launched an internal inquiry into a possible breach of Samoškaitė’s professional duties. The Association of Professional Journalists said it had removed her from its membership.