Border guard chief chose departure he deemed best for service, adviser says

President Gitanas Nausėda’s national security adviser, Marius Česnulevičius, said there were no indications that State Border Guard Service (VSAT) chief Rustamas Liubajevas had been politically targeted. LRT reported that Česnulevičius said Liubajevas decided to leave his post because he believed it was the best decision for the service.

“We saw no indications of any preconceived attitude specifically against the individual,” Česnulevičius told Žinių radijas on Tuesday.

He said Liubajevas had to assess the situation and take responsibility, adding that the VSAT chief had made the decision he personally considered best for the service.

Liubajevas decided to step down while law enforcement was investigating an incident at the border and the VSAT leadership was undergoing an internal review over how the incident had been reported. He informed Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas of his decision on Monday.

Česnulevičius said the ongoing investigation would establish what had happened, why the incident occurred and whether the relevant procedures had been in place and functioned properly. He said referring the matter to the Prosecutor General’s Office and determining how to prevent similar incidents in the future was not excessive, given the possibility of injuries on both sides.

According to the adviser, President Nausėda viewed Liubajevas as an official whose tenure saw the migrant crisis brought under control and steps taken to strengthen the state border.

However, Česnulevičius said the VSAT leadership could have provided better information about the incident in Lazdijai District. He said there had been a lack of accurate information, and added that the president might have invited Liubajevas and the interior minister for talks if the disagreement had continued. The matter was resolved at the Interior Ministry level, he said.

Media reports said four border guards had set up an ambush in the territory of the Kapčiamiestis border checkpoint after a tunnel being dug under the state border was discovered. The officers detained several migrants and handcuffed them, but about 20 foreigners attacked the officers during the detention. The officers had to flee, while the illegal migrants, including those in handcuffs, escaped into Belarus.

VSAT reported finding the tunnel and said that migrants had escaped, but did not disclose that officers had been attacked. The Delfi news portal reported the incident, citing sources, while the Lrytas portal reported last week that one officer had been injured.