Lawyer Vladimiras Buslovičius said at the hearing that a plea had been filed with a Court of Appeals for removal of the judges, requesting that the case be suspended until his plea is processed.
Judge Daiva Pranytė-Zalieckienė, the chairwoman of the panel of judges, replied that the matter had been settled on Thursday and instructed the prosecutor to proceed with his speech.
The defense said they had an audio recording which allegedly proved that pressure had been exerted upon judges by state officials. However, Pranytė-Zalieckienė said the recording could not be deemed reliable. In her words, no state officials attempted to influence her from the day of receipt of the case.
