"An Austrian court ruled that Dmytro Firtash, a Ukrainian oligarch who is under house arrest in Vienna after being indicted on bribery charges in the United States more than a decade ago, cannot be extradited, ending a seven-year saga against the businessman. A lower court had put Firtash's extradition on hold last year, citing new evidence. Prosecutors last year appealed that decision. On December 10, the Vienna Higher Regional Court dismissed that appeal on technical grounds."
"A tycoon who made his fortune in part based on murky natural gas deals involving Russia's state gas giant Gazprom and Ukraine's pipeline network, Firtash was at the height of his influence in Ukraine in the 2000s during the presidency of Viktor Yushchenko. He later became a major funder of Yushchenko rival Viktor Yanukovych, who went on to become Ukraine's president."
An Austrian court ruled that Dmytro Firtash cannot be extradited, ending a seven-year legal saga. A lower court had put extradition on hold citing new evidence, and the Vienna Higher Regional Court dismissed prosecutors' appeal on technical grounds on December 10. Firtash was indicted by a U.S. grand jury in 2013 on bribery charges tied to an Indian businessman and metals for supply to Boeing. He made his fortune partly from natural gas deals involving Russia's Gazprom and Ukraine's pipeline network. U.S. diplomats linked him to Russian organized crime, allegations he has denied. He was arrested in Vienna in March 2014 and released to house arrest after posting $174 million bail.
Read at RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
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