Austria authorises Ukraine mogul’s US extradition

An Austrian appeals court on Tuesday authorised the extradition to the United States of Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash on bribery charges, in a shock decision overturning an earlier ruling, reports AFP.
Firtash, 51, one of Ukraine’s richest men and previously an ally of ousted president Viktor Yanukovych, was arrested in Austria in March 2014.
The gas magnate was freed 10 days later on bail of 125 million euros ($130 million), a record for Austria, but has had to stay in the country until the appeal ruling.
US authorities want him extradited to face charges that he and five others paid $18.5 million in bribes to Indian officials to secure titanium mining licences in Andrah Pradesh state in 2006. They argue that US laws applied because the conspiracy involved using US financial institutions, travel to and from the United States, and use of US-based communications—computers, telephones, and the Internet.
Firtash has rejected all charges and maintained they are politically motivated.

 

Austria authorises Ukraine moguls US extradition

An Austrian appeals court on Tuesday authorised the extradition to the United States of Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash on bribery charges, in a shock decision overturning an earlier ruling, reports AFP. Firtash, 51, one of Ukraines richest men and previously an ally of ousted president Viktor Yanukovych, was arrested in Austria in March 2014. The gas magnate was freed 10 days later on bail of 125 million euros ($130 million), a record for Austria, but has had to stay in the country until the appeal ruling. US authorities want him extradited to face charges that he and five others paid $18.5 million in bribes to Indian officials to secure titanium mining licences in Andrah Pradesh state in 2006. They argue that US laws applied because the conspiracy involved using US financial institutions, travel to and from the United States, and use of US-based communicationscomputers, telephones, and the Internet. Firtash has rejected all charges and maintained they are politically motivated.