"My resignation would mean that I admit that we have made an illegal action. (…) I am strongly convinced that there are no suspicions and there are no illegal actions," the diplomat told BNS Lithuania on Friday.
In his words, ambassadorial work in Russia in the context of today's relations with Moscow is "very complicated and not easy", therefore, we need to "wait until certain decisions are made."
His comment came after Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said on Thursday that Motuzas, who was questioned as a special witness in a visa case on Wednesday, is becoming vulnerable and casts a shadow on the whole diplomatic service.
The opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats are calling for him to be recalled from Moscow. According to HU-LCD MP Radvile Morkunaite-Mikuleniene, "only Lithuanian diplomat who cannot be vulnerable due to one or the other reason" should work in Russia.
The status of a special witness means that a person is questioned about their actions but there are no grounds to bring charges against the person.
Suspicions of influence peddling have been brought in the case against former long-standing Lithuanian diplomat Rimantas Sidlauskas, now director general of the Association of Lithuanian Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Crafts (ALCCIC), Russian-citizen banker Rinat Nasirov and Lithuanian businessman Albinas Bieliauskas.
Sidlauskas is suspected to have agreed to influence people for Nasirov to get a Schengen visa, in exchange for a bribe.