By providing answers to parlt inquiry president would have legitimised politicised process – adviser

Frederikas Jansonas, chief adviser on communication to President Gitanas Nausėda, claims that the head of state did not provide answers to a parliamentary commission because doing so would have legitimised the politicised inquiry. A parliamentary commission had been set up to examine if the State Security Department (VSD) collected information on candidates during the 2019 presidential campaign, if it collected data on Nausėda’s staff, as well as to probe alleged links between Nausėda and representatives of Belarusian fertiliser business. The issue emerged after VSD whistleblower Tomas Gailius raised concerns that the intelligence agency unlawfully collected information about the presidential candidate’s environment.

In an interview to the public radio LRT, Jansonas stated that the president refused to provide answers to the parliamentary commission in writing as it was already drafting its findings. Chairman of the ad hoc commission MP Vytautas Bakas told ELTA that the list of questions was sent to Nausėda on 7 March.

“At the time Mr Bakas was not interested in the answers, he already (&) had the findings, he knew what he had in mind, what he wanted to write up and was writing this. The president’s answers in this case would have only legitimised this politicised commission,” Jansonas told LRT.

The commission concluded that by refusing to testify Nausėda hindered efforts of the Seimas to carry out its duties, and violated his oath and the Constitution. Based on the findings, in 2018-2019, then presidential candidate Nausėda and members of his staff maintained ties with representatives of Belarusian fertiliser business and held meetings with them, whereas after elections President Nausėda used to invite these individuals to events at the Presidential Palace.

Jansonas rejected the information provided by the Seimas commission. The president’s adviser stated that if information available to the VSD or criminal intelligence were to be published, MP Bakas himself might likely be linked to fertiliser business as he came to politics with a party that had received donations from fertiliser business.

According to Jansonas, some facts but mostly assumptions, fantasies and lies were put together in the findings that were “covered under the veil of secrecy” in the hopes to throw shade on the president.