Austrian court clears way for U.S. extradition of Ukrainian tycoon Firtash
VIENNA Austria’s Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a decision granting a U.S. request to extradite Ukrainian tycoon Dmytro Firtash, paving the way for him to face trial in the United States over bribery allegations. Firtash, who denies wrongdoing, is a former business partner of veteran U.S. Republican political operative and convicted felon Paul Manafort. He is also a former supporter of Ukraine’s ousted pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovich. Firtash made a fortune selling Russian gas to the Kiev government.
A U.S. grand jury indicted Firtash in 2013, along with a member of India’s parliament and four others, on suspicion of bribing Indian government officials to gain access to minerals used to make titanium-based products. Firtash denies wrongdoing. The Austrian Supreme Court upheld a previous ruling by a lower court that he can be extradited despite his lawyers arguing that he is the victim of political “persecution” by the United States, which he has never visited.(reuters)…[+]