Austria holds Ukraine's Firtash for extradition

[okaawhatever]

Source: Reuters

(Reuters) - An Austrian court ordered Ukrainian industrialist Dmytro Firtash held for possible extradition to the United States and set bail of 125 million euros ($174 million) on Friday, a court statement said.

A final decision on whether to turn Firtash over to the United States was still pending, the statement said. The court will rule on that based on the U.S. extradition request and on information it was awaiting from U.S. authorities, it said.

Firtash was arrested in Vienna on Wednesday on suspicion of violating laws on bribery and forming a criminal organization in the course of foreign business deals. One of Ukraine's most influential oligarchs, he has close links to Russia through his gas interests.

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation has been looking into the case since 2006, Austrian officials have said, but they have not revealed any details of the allegations against him.

Firtash, 48, lodged an appeal against Friday's court order, which cited the risk that he might flee, the court said.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/14/us-ukraine-crisis-firtash-idUSBREA2D1BK20140314

[geek tragedy]

1. That's a good start nt

[rdharma]

2. The US requesting his extradition to the US...... but......

the FBI doesn't want to reveal any details of the allegations against him.

Very strange!

[okaawhatever]

3. In a touch of irony, Firtash's crimes may have been confessed to in cables exposed through

Wikileaks.

The US hasn't sent over the extradition paperwork yet. It's not like they're going to ship this guy
off without it. I think he's one of the ones who has a red card on him with Interpol. Here's just one article about him:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/01/wikileaks-cables-russian-mafia-gas

[rdharma]

4. So what are the charges? And why is the FBI involved?

I'm not defending this dirt bag, just trying to find out what he's charged with and how that is supposed to back up your opinions on the situation in Ukraine. TIA!

[okaawhatever]

5. If the US is involved it's because whatever he did either took place in the US or it was an online

banking transaction with an American bank. Those are prosecuted in the home country of the bank because that's where the banking laws prevail. (which is why everyone used to bank in the Caymans & Switzerland) From Bloomberg:

Dmitry Firtash, a 48-year-old Ukrainian billionaire who made his fortune importing Russian natural gas, was arrested in Vienna Wednesday by an organized-crime unit of the Austrian police on a warrant issued by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to a statement by the country’s Interior Ministry.

He is alleged to have paid bribes and formed a criminal organization, according to the warrant, issued after an FBI investigation that began in 2006, the ministry said.

The Bloomberg story wasn't about him so there was just a snip I'm sure we'll all know soon. Some of the charges may be dropped since it's been a while.

[rdharma]

6. Get back to me when you can tell us what the charges are........

TIA!