Because Spain blocked the issuance of “dangerous” Firtash in the USA
The European arrest warrant issued by Spain, six months ago, was a headache for Dmitry Firtash. The billionaire, who for more than three years in Vienna awaits extradition to the United States, in an interview with Austrian media hinted that the Spanish warrant allegedly also cost Americans, for whom “the main thing that Firtash has not returned to Ukraine”.
In Spain Firtash called the head of the criminal group which was engaged in money laundering and demand his extradition. Meanwhile, the United States for three years seeking the extradition of Firtash, accusing him of corruption.
The Spaniards are not in a hurry
Paradoxically, now Spanish order plays into the hands of the oligarchs. After the decision of the Higher regional court of Vienna, who in February authorized the extradition to the US, the Spanish order is the only reason why Firtash is not yet in the United States. Indeed, in the case when there are two concurrent requests for extradition from various countries, the decision of whom to extradite the suspect rests with the Minister of justice. However, he must first wait for a court decision on extradition – what about the request of one country and another.
But if the court the decision to extradite Firtash in the USA already have, then in the Spanish court case has not even started. Instead of the two months set aside European legislation for the consideration of orders from other EU countries, a Spanish warrant for Firtash remained without trial for eight. First, its consideration was postponed until the Austrian court will take a decision on the American case. However, the decision on the request of the U.S. made five months ago, and the question of extradition to Spain still has not moved from a dead point.
The crumbling case
In April the regional court of Vienna has written to the Spanish colleagues with the request to provide additional information regarding the circumstances of the offence with which the suspect Firtash. However, since then, Spain have not received any answer, told DW in an Austrian court.
Recently the Austrian side through the European Agency for cooperation in the field of justice – Eurojust – Spain filed a statement demanding an immediate answer.
“The response to the statement about the urgency of the case no. In September we will submit another statement,” – said DW press Secretary of the court.
But in the 21st the court of Barcelona, which in November last year issued a warrant for the arrest of Dmitry Firtash declined to comment on the reasons for the delay. Meanwhile, the prospects of the case on suspicion in money-laundering are becoming more and more vague. In particular, at the end of June, Spain had canceled a European warrant for the arrest of Hares Youssef, which investigators in Barcelona was considered the right hand Firtash “headed by a criminal organization.” Youssef, like Firtash, for many years lives in Vienna. As reported by DW in the Land court of Vienna, the order is canceled after Yussef visited Barcelona and the court has provided clarification as to the circumstances of the case. It was about the origin of the money for which was carried out real estate transactions.
“The arrest warrant was revoked once the defendant has provided clarifications to the Spanish law enforcement authorities”, – said the lawyer Youssef Klaus Ineter.
The lawyers of Dmytro Firtash and his representative did not answer the question DW about the future of the Spanish case.
In the United States are preparing for the arrival Firtash
Three years, Dmitry Firtash has ignored a court in Chicago, which issued a us warrant for his arrest. The oligarch was shooting lobbyists in the United States, and also allocated money to bribe law enforcement officers in Germanywho were using informal channels of communication to reach the American investigators. However, after the decision of the Austrian court of appeal which allowed the extradition of Firtash to the US, hired in the United States, a team of lawyers actively involved in the process. Protection of Ukrainian a few months ago brought in a court in Chicago, a motion for rescission of warrant of arrest, pointing especially to the fact that their client had never been to the US and did not give bribes to anyone in this country.
The case against the tycoon for the possible bribery of officials in India to obtain permits to mine titanium. The United States believes that Firtash headed the criminal group which illegally sought to obtain licenses to mine titanium, and gave personal orders to the bribery of officials and the falsification of documents. Last week, the U.S. Department of justice gave the court a response to the petition of lawyers Firtash, furthering the reasoning of the request for extradition. In the document of 115 pages, which is available to DW, the oligarch named “high-ranking official of Russian organized crime”.
The same key role in the Russian criminal world American investigators assign and Hungarian Andras Knoppe, who is also a suspect in the “Indian” criminal case. Knopp is a co – author of questionable intermediary “schemes” in the gas trade, such as RosUkrEnergo and Eural Trans Gas, which brought billions Firtash and his powerful partners in Russia. Knopp for many years lives in Moscow and is still ignored by the American criminal case. However, with the approach of the extradition of Dmitry Firtash in the USA, the lawyers of the Hungarian actively involved in the judicial process.
To protect the United States from the Russian corruption
Gas business Dmytro Firtash was closely associated with people from the entourage of Vladimir Putin. In particular, the Ukrainian oligarch partners in RosUkrEnergo were puppets of the Russian President in “Gazprom”. After Firtash’s arrest in Vienna in 2014 it influential Russian friends came oligarch to help. 125 million euros bail for the oligarch has made Anisimov – each Trustee of Putin, Arkady Rotenberg, the individual on the sanctions lists of the USA and the EU. The U.S. Department of justice provided by a court in Chicago, the clarification notes that the prosecution Firtash and Knopp “in the highest degree the interests of the United States.” The bring them to justice, destroy the Russian organized criminal group and will make it impossible to further the Commission of criminal acts in the U.S., according to the Federal Department of justice.
“This criminal case is intended to protect this country, its business environment and its citizens from the impact of corruption and destructive actions of international organized crime”, – stated in the rationale provided by the Department of justice.
Firtash and Knopp planned to sell mined in India of Titan, the permit to mine which was obviously received in exchange for bribes, the American aircraft company “Boeing”.
Extradition will be soon
The imminent extradition of Dmitry Firtash in the USA don’t expect, and overseas. The justice Department went to court in Chicago with a request to postpone a decision on the admissibility or inadmissibility of the prosecution of Ukrainians in the United States until the extradition of the accused. Pre-decision expected in late August. However, up to this point, convinced the investigators that Firtash will not be transferred to the United States. Not only considering the delay of Spain, but also due to the fact that the oligarch has announced a complaint against the decision to extradite to the constitutional court of Austria.
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Firtash as a mirror