MOSCOW, August 15 (RAPSI) – Russian businessman and former co-owner of the Lithuanian nationalized bank Snoras, Vladimir Antonov, has filed a lawsuit with the Moscow Commercial Court demanding to recover over 40 billion rubles ($622 million) from Lithuania’s Justice Ministry, according to court records.

Antonov seeks to collect from Lithuania more than 20.2 billion rubles ($314 million) in compensation for property damage and over 19.9 billion rubles ($309 million) in business reputation damage. Moreover, the plaintiff demands to declare illegal information distributed by the country’s president Dalia Grybauskaite, who had criticized performance of Snoras managers before nationalization of the bank, and published in online media in 2011, the court papers read.

The court will consider the claim on September 22.

Snoras was part of Antonov's Convers Group. The Convers Group held 68.10 percent of the bank and another 25.3 percent was held by Baranauskas.

In addition, the government of Latvia also announced that the Krajbanka bank, currently on the verge of bankruptcy and 60% owned by Antonov, would be nationalized.

Antonov has been charged by Lithuanian authorities with EUR 565 million embezzlement, forging documents and fraudulent accounting and put on the European wanted list. Antonov and his partner Raimondas Baranauskas, were arrested on November 24, 2011 in the United Kingdom and put in detention but later they were released on bail. Antonov left the United Kingdom trembling for his life. He could face up to 10 years in Lithuania's prison if convicted.