VILNIUS, October 1 - RAPSI. Former shareholder of the bankrupt Snoras bank Vladimir Antonov plans to file a lawsuit against Lithuania over lost investments in a New York court.

The Lithuanian prosecutors suspect him of criminal activity and seek his extradition to Lithuania.

On November 16, 2011, the Lithuanian government decided to nationalize Snoras to rescue the bank from bankruptcy. The formal reason was its failure to meet the watchdog's request for information in addition to its poor financial state. The bank was also suspected of illegal transactions. Snoras then suspended its operations.

The Bank of Lithuania later acknowledged that even a federal funds injection would not save the bank and decided to shut it down. The court declared Snoras bankrupt on December 7.

The decision came into force on December 20, 2011.

Both major Snoras shareholders - Vladimir Antonov and Raimondas Baranauskas - have been suspected of embezzling the bank's assets and financial fraud. They were arrested in London in late November upon the Prosecutor General's Office's request. They were later released on bail.

A UK court has frozen Antonov's assets worth 493 million euros upon the Snoras bankruptcy administrator's request.

Antonov was unable to explain the disappearance of 4 billion litas (1.158 billion euro) from the bank.

"Baranauskas (who was the president of Snoras) and I decided to leave for the UK because we firmly believe we can prove our innocence. I promise to fight until the end. I am already initiating a civil lawsuit against Lithuania over lost investments. The dispute will be considered in New York," Antonov said in an interview with Lietuvos rytas.

He added that his lawyers have warned the Lithuanian Finance Ministry that they will sue the government agency in spring.

"Pursuant to the law, we have to wait for six months. If I am not mistaken, six months will have passed in mid-October," he said.

Antonov said Baranauskas will not be able to sue the government in New York, as he is a Lithuanian citizen.

Snoras was part of Antonov's Convers Group.

The Convers Group held 68.10 percent of the shares in the bank and another 25.3 percent were held by Baranauskas.