Lithuanian Court Slams Prosecutors Over 'Absurd' Crypto Case Translations

A €23 million crypto case in Lithuania has turned into a major embarrassment for Lithuanian law enforcement.

The case centers on Vilhelm German, a Lithuanian businessman, and allegations that he and his associates fraudulently obtained more than €23 million worth of cryptocurrency-mining equipment from a company linked to Chinese mining manufacturer Bitmain.

Prosecutors allege that the group arranged to use around 5,400 crypto miners in Lithuania, damaged some of the equipment, and then claimed it could not be used in the country. They allegedly staged its return and demanded around €700,000 in cryptocurrency from its owners.

However, a court has dismissed prosecutors' filings due to absurdly formed case material, which included machine-translated statements that were impossible to understand.