Antanas Kandrotas (born 28 December 1980), also known by the nickname Celofanas (English: Cellophane) and often written as Antanas Kandrotas-Celofanas,[1] is a Lithuanian businessman, convicted fraudster, activist and politician. He was a planned candidate in the 2024 Lithuanian presidential election and chairman of the unregistered Party "We Are Lithuania" (Lithuanian: Partija "Mes Lietuva").[2]
Antanas Kandrotas | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 December 1980 Kaunas, Lithuania |
| Political party | Union of the Fighters for Lithuania Party "We Are Lithuania" (2023-current) |
| Alma mater | Kaunas University of Technology |
On 27 November 2023, he was convicted of financial fraud and sentenced to four years in prison.[3] He was arrested and taken to prison on 15 January 2024.[4]
Early life
editKandrotas was born on 28 December 1980 in Kaunas to a father who was a businessman and a mother who worked as a nurse in Kaunas Clinics.[5] He studied computer science in the Kaunas University of Technology.
In 2013, he was convicted of fraud by the Vilnius District Court. Alongside partners in crime, he created a dummy company in 2007 to purchase assets in debt and then disappear with the assets and returned VAT tax. He was sentenced to prison in Pravieniškės for one year and seven months. At the same time, in 2010, he was fined 753 EUR for negligent bookkeeping.[5]
He was again sentenced to one year in prison for fraud in 2017 and for hiding 700 thousand EUR in taxes while purchasing and selling gasoline with a shell company in 2022.[5] He was associated with the Agurkiniai criminal gang.[6]
He is married twice, has one son, Antanas, from his first marriage and twin sons from his second one.[5]
Political career
editKandrotas gained notoriety protesting restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, including gluing sticky tape on his lips during his trials in protest against mask mandates.[7] He attempted to stand as a candidate in the 2020 parliamentary election with the Union of the Fighters for Lithuania, a small far-right anti-establishment party.[8] The party's attempt to stand for election was unsuccessful due to an inability to collect the necessary signatures and numerous candidates having an active criminal record.
He was one of the organizers of the "Great March in Defense of the Family" (Lithuanian: Didysis šeimos gynimo maršas), a demonstration of about 10 thousand people held in Vilnius on 15 May 2021, in protest against the Šimonytė Cabinet's civil partnership bill.[9] Participating in the protest against COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on 10 August 2021, he was one of the instigators of a riot that led to a clash with police authorities, and was restricted from participation in further protests, but violated these restrictions.[10]
In 2021, he was noticed driving a car carrying red license plates which were thought to have belonged to the embassy of Belarus in Lithuania.[11] Kandrotas denied this and confirmed that they belonged to the Order of Malta, which he claimed to be a member of - however, the organization claimed that he was not a member and officially distanced themselves from the politician.[12]
On 17–20 January 2022, Kandrotas visited Belarus along with other members of the anti-EU and anti-NATO[13] movement "The Dawn of Justice" led by Algirdas Paleckis. During this visit, meetings and discussions were organized with the country's key figures, such as president Alexander Lukashenko and Minister of Foreign Affairs Vladimir Makei. Presenting themselves as a self described "Lithuanian civil society", the delegation expressed disdain for the Lithuanian government's policies regarding its eastern neighbors amidst the Belarus–European Union border crisis, grounding of Ryanair Flight 4978 and the 2020 Belarusian presidential election. They expressed an aspiration for fostering amicable relations and cooperation between the Lithuanian and Belarusian communities.[14]
Released from prison in 2023[needs context], Kandrotas held numerous protests, including against pro-Ukrainian organizations,[15] and committed vandalism.[16]
On 16 August 2023, Kandrotas announced the establishment of Party "We Are Lithuania" (Lithuanian: Partija "Mes Lietuva") in a founding conference with a claimed membership of 2306 people.[17] The party remains unregistered by the Electoral Commission. The party supports family values, LGBT rights opposition, Lithuanian nationalism and national sovereignty, and describes itself as conservative.[18]
He was planning to run in the 2024 presidential elections,[19] but the Supreme Electoral Commission of Lithuania did not register his candidacy due to failing to provide the required documents.[20]
References
edit- ^ "Antanas Kandrotas-Celofanas". 15min.lt.
- ^ "Antanas Kandrotas". Delfi.
- ^ "Dėl sukčiavimo nuteistas Kandrotas–Celofanas siunčiamas kalėti 4 metams". LRT (in Lithuanian). 2023-11-27.
- ^ "Policija: Kandrotas-Celofanas pristatytas į Kauno tardymo izoliatorių" [Police: Kandrotas is taken to Kaunas Prison]. lrt.lt (in Lithuanian). 2024-01-15. Retrieved 2024-01-15.
- ^ a b c d Kuznecovaitė, Asta (2023-08-19). "Celofano šuoliai: nuo kalinio – iki protestuotojų vėliavnešio". Kas vyksta Kaune (in Lithuanian).
- ^ Krapavickaitė, Diana (2018-07-16). "Netapęs politiku, ėmėsi sukčiavimo?". Kauno diena (in Lithuanian).
- ^ Krapavickaitė, Diana (2020-10-23). "Nevykęs politikas tęsia klounadą teisme". Kauno diena (in Lithuanian).
- ^ Želnienė, Liepa (2020-08-12). "Su kovotojų už Lietuvą vėliava į Seimą nori V.Šustauskas ir priesaiką sulaužęs V.Titovas". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian).
- ^ Čeponytė, Jurgita (2021-05-17). "LRT tyrimas. Už Šeimų maršo rengėjų ir rėmėjų – antiNATO mitingų šleifas, pronacistinės organizacijos ir ryšiai su VSD ataskaitose minimais asmenimis". LRT (in Lithuanian).
- ^ Steniulienė, Ingrida (2021-11-26). "Dėl dalyvavimo dar dviejuose mitinguose policija įspėjo kardomąją priemonę pažeidusį Kandrotą-Celofaną". LRT (in Lithuanian).
- ^ Bakaitė, Jurga (2021-06-25). "Kol Lietuvos institucijos tyli, apžvalgininkas ragina tarnybas paskelbti, ar "Šeimų maršo" organizatorius susijęs su Baltarusija". LRT (in Lithuanian).
- ^ Povilaitis, Nerijus (2021-10-06). "Kuriam Maltos ordinui ir kaip atstovauja Kandrotas–Celofanas: klampi istorija su mistikos prieskoniu". Delfi (in Lithuanian).
- ^ "Teisingumo Aušros programa lietuvių ir rusų kalbomis/Программа Зари Справедливости на литовском и русском языках". Teisingumo aušra (in Lithuanian and Russian). 27 November 2021.
- ^ "Išvažiavo Putino saulės parvežti?" (PDF). Tremtinys (in Lithuanian). No. 3 (1457). 21 January 2022. p. 3. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
- ^ Skaramakaitė, Agnė (2023-07-19). "Kandrotas-Celofanas užsipuolė paramą Ukrainai renkančias organizacijas: kovoti su akivaizdžiu melu šios svarsto ir teismuose". LRT (in Lithuanian).
- ^ "Vilniaus Pylimo gatvėje esanti vaivorykštės spalvų perėja vėl apipaišyta dažais, policija sulaikė įtariamąjį". LRT (in Lithuanian). 2023-07-02.
- ^ Andrukaitytė, Milena (2023-08-16). "Kandrotas skelbia su steigėjais įkūręs partiją "Mes Lietuva"". LRT (in Lithuanian).
- ^ Povilaitis, Nerijus (2023-08-23). "A. Kandrotas savo politinei partijai piešia didelius tikslus". Kas vyksta Kaune (in Lithuanian).
- ^ Valaitienė, Miglė (2023-10-05). "A. Kandrotas-Celofanas žada kandidatuoti į prezidentus". Verslo žinios (in Lithuanian).
- ^ "VRK neregistravo A.Kandroto prezidento rinkimams: nepateikė dokumento apie banko sąskaitą" [VRK did not register Kandrotas for the presidential elections: he did not provide a bank account document.]. 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). 2013-12-18. Retrieved 2024-01-15.