After businessman Giedrius Klimkevičius's arrest in France – latest news
Translated from Lithuanian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.
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- Lithuanian businessman Giedrius Klimkevičius was arrested in France on suspicion of attempting to conceal assets from his company, Castel Novel, which is undergoing restructuring.
- Klimkevičius's lawyer argues the arrest is disproportionate and discriminatory, as the businessman initiated the restructuring himself and denies the charges.
- The businessman's camel, Bučkis, has been returned to Lithuania.
Lithuanian businessman Giedrius Klimkevičius faces serious allegations in France, having been arrested on suspicion of attempting to hide assets from his company, Castel Novel. The company, located in the French town of Vareilles, is currently undergoing restructuring. French media reported that police apprehended Klimkevičius on March 20, suspecting him of stealing property from the hotel-restaurant.
Mr. Giedrius Klimkevičius appointed me as his defender in the investigation concerning accusations of attempting to conceal assets from the company CASTEL NOVEL, which he managed, from March 6, 2026, to March 20, 2026.
However, Klimkevičius's lawyer, Mažvydas Michalauskas, strongly contests the charges and the businessman's arrest. He stated that Klimkevičius appointed him as his defender in an investigation concerning accusations of attempting to conceal assets from CASTEL NOVEL, a company he managed. The alleged offenses occurred between March 6 and March 20, 2026. According to French law, Klimkevičius is accused of an act provided for in the French Commercial Code, specifically disposing of or concealing assets of a company in insolvency proceedings.
The lawyer emphasized that a criminal investigation and the commercial court's insolvency procedure are separate matters. Klimkevičius himself initiated the restructuring of CASTEL NOVEL after financial difficulties, a process accepted by the commercial court on March 6, 2026, with insolvency beginning January 31, 2026. Michalauskas finds the suspicion that Klimkevičius would deliberately conceal assets after initiating the restructuring process highly improbable, especially since he was the company's official head and communicated closely with the bankruptcy administrator.
Therefore, the suspicion that Mr. Klimkevičius consciously engaged in concealing the company's assets since March 6, 2026, i.e., after the announcement of the restructuring initiated by him, seems quite unconvincing, especially since he was officially the head of the company at that time and communicated closely with the bankruptcy administrator.
Furthermore, the lawyer argued that Klimkevičius's detention for such an investigation appears "completely inadequate and a unprecedentedly discriminatory measure." The decision by the Court of Appeal to impose the strictest precautionary measure, detention, citing potential influence on witnesses, will be appealed. The lawyer believes this measure is disproportionate and contrary to EU law principles. Adding a peculiar detail to the case, Klimkevičius's camel, Bučkis, has been returned to Lithuania after being placed in a camel ranch in France.
The detention of Mr. Klimkevičius for such an investigation appears to be a completely inadequate and unprecedentedly discriminatory measure.
About this summary
Originally published by Delfi in Lithuanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.
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