An Austrian appeals court on Tuesday authorised the extradition to the United States of Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash on bribery charges, overturning an earlier ruling.
Firtash, 51, one of Ukraine’s richest men and previously an ally of ousted president Viktor Yanukovych, was arrested in Austria in March 2014.
He was freed on bail 10 days later for 125 million euros ($130 million), a record for Austria, but has had to stay in the country until the appeals court 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 2006.
Last April a judge in Vienna rejected the US request to extradite him on the basis that the demand was “politically motivated”.
Firtash owns Group DF, a business empire involved in energy, chemicals, media, banking and property in Ukraine and other countries including Germany, Italy and Austria.
He made his fortune importing gas to Ukraine from Russia and Central Asia via his group Rosukrenergo, since disbanded, in collaboration with Russian gas giant Gazprom.
Having backed the 2010 election campaign of Yanukovych, Firtash was able to expand his business interests, acquiring chemicals and fertiliser factories as well as TV channel Inter.
The Russian-backed Yanukovych was ousted in protests in February 2014, and Firtash’s arrest in Austria came soon afterwards, although officials deny any link.
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