Romanov left Lithuania in early May and later claimed he was in Moscow for business, fell ill and decided to undergo treatment in the Russian capital.
Later on, Lithuanian prosecutors and investigators from the country's Financial Crime Investigation Service received a document from Russian doctors, saying that the former owner of Ūkio Bankas had suffered a stroke, delfi.lt writes.
Lithuanian officials want to question Romanov in the Ūkio Bankas' bankruptcy case over alleged embezzlement of 50 million litas (EUR 14.46 million).
After three months, Lithuanian officials launched an international search for Romanov. Pursuant to existing procedures, Russian officials have to identity Romanov's abode and provide information to Lithuanian law enforcement officers. The latter need a court sanction to arrest Romanov.
Lithuanian officials are concerned that Romanov may apply for Russian citizenship which Moscow easily grants to Russian-speakers who used to be citizens of the Soviet Union.
Russia rarely extradites its citizens and has refused to do so in the Medininkai, January 13, and other cases.
Romanov faces up to seven years in prison for embezzlement in Lithuania.
Lithuanian prosecutors launched a pre-trial investigation into alleged large-scale embezzlement at Ūkio Bankas after receiving information from the Bank of Lithuania on suspicious transactions at Ūkio Bankas in 2005-2012. Activities of Ūkio Bankas were halted on February 12, the bank was declared insolvent on February 18 and its license was revoked. The bank's "good" assets were later transferred to Šiaulių Bankas and the "bad" part of the bank should be declared bankrupt.
Romanov used to own a 65-percent stake in Ūkio Bankas.
