Lubys' purchase could hinder public access to the Neris's western riverbanks in Vilnius.

VILNIUS — A fertilizer mogul’s attempts to buy six acres of riverside land in Vilnius has been put on ice after a local activist group tendered a complaint to the courts.

Bronislavas Lubys, who yo-yos between first and second position for richest man in Lithuania each year and is a former prime minister, wants to buy six acres of land along the river in the city’s leafy Žverynas neighborhood.

However, local activists representing the neighborhood have raised the alarm over the situation saying that there is a clear violation of public interests for the gain of one man, pointing out that Lubys already owns 20 acres in Žverynas.

Lubys however claims that he would be cleaning up the area because there is currently a scrap heap in the zone.

The city government has acknowledged the activists’ claim.

“I don’t want to be an extremist, but if you already have 20 acres and you want six more towards the river, it will be hard to gain public support. You can understand that hundreds of people would be affected because one man has a better quality of life,” Vilnius city council member Gediminas Rudžionis said.

The area is a haven for joggers, fishermen and those who love sitting next to the river among the trees.

Rudžionis acknowledged that if the plans went ahead, it would reduce the area for public use.

A representative of the activists, Vytautas Damaševičius, said Lubys was being pushed by other people with similar interests in the area as an “icebreaker.”

Former city officials informed Baltic Reports that others in the area have surreptitiously claimed land of their own by putting up fences on state-owned land under the guise of “caring for the area.”

They use the land, but do not actually own it, one official said.

Damaševičius believes that if Lubys can do what he wants, others could follow using him as a precedent.

Damaševičius is involved in a number of cases across the city where he has sued developers to raise awareness of projects he considers not in the public interest.

Lubys lives in Žverynas, which is just across the water from both Vingis Park, the Seimas and the business triangle. The headquarters of his business, Achema Grupė is also located in Žverynas.