Lithuanian leader in 'mafia' row

President Rolandas Paksas denies personal involvement

Lithuanian President Rolandas Paksas is facing the threat of impeachment over alleged links to the Russian mafia.

A parliamentary committee investigating the claims will release a report on its findings on Monday.

Mr Paksas has denied personal involvement in the scandal and has repeatedly refused to quit.

An intelligence report leaked this year said Mr Paksas and his aides had links to crime rings and to a separate figure suspected of illegal arms deals.

It also said that Lithuania served as a base for the financing of international terrorism.

The country hopes to join the European Union next year.

Demonstrations

The parliamentary committee had been due to release its findings on Thursday. But its chairman Aloyzas Sakalas, told French news agency AFP that members decided that they needed some more time to put everything in order.

"We have basic conclusions already," he said, but refused to disclose them.

Some people have already called for Mr Paksas to resign

Media reports have already started to suggest that the committee's findings will prompt impeachment proceedings.

The leader of the Homeland Union opposition party, Andrius Kubilius, told Reuters news agency: "Parliament will have to decide whether to start impeachment proceedings, but certainly there are enough MPs willing to do so."

The support of 36 out of 141 MPs is needed to proceed with impeachment.

Over the last two weeks there have already been demonstrations by hundreds of people in front of the presidential palace in Vilnius calling for Mr Paksas, a former Soviet aerobatics champion, to resign.