Supreme Court upholds former border guard’s fraud conviction

Lithuania’s Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of former State Border Guard Service officer Tautvydas Matas for fraudulently claiming housing allowances through a sham apartment lease, LRT reported.

The court confirmed that Matas submitted the lease with an official report seeking the allowance, despite not intending to live in the apartment and never doing so. He received €1,757.83 over seven months, causing the state and the service financial damage, the court said.

An appeals court convicted Matas of fraud and document forgery and use, and imposed a combined fine of €2,500. A lower court had acquitted him, finding that no criminal offence had been committed.

The Supreme Court said the appeals court’s conclusions were supported by evidence including Matas’s testimony, vehicle route data, mobile phone usage records, utility service data and witness statements. It dismissed the defence appeal. The ruling is final and cannot be appealed.