VILNIUS, Lithuania, May 19 (UPI) -- Lithuania's former President Rolandas Paksas was charged by police Wednesday with leaking state secrets.
Paksas became Europe's first ever president to be ousted through a parliamentary impeachment vote in early April. Police suspect the former president of having links to the Russian mafia to whom he is accused of passing on state secrets. Lithuania joined both Nato and the European Union earlier this year and now has access to sensitive information which could be of use to the Russian authorities. Russia's secret services are believed to sometimes use mafia bosses for their operations.
If found guilty, Paksas faces up to three years in jail.
Paksas has protested his innocence and his supporters say all the accusations against him are a part of a politically motivated smear campaign.
Paksas became president in 2003.
