An Austrian court has approved the extradition of Ukrainian tycoon Dmytro Firtash to the United States to face bribery allegations, overturning an earlier ruling that had said the U.S. request was politically motivated.

Firtash, once an ally of former Moscow-backed Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, has rejected the allegations as "absurd and unfounded."

Extradition, however, is still not a certainty. Firtash can appeal against the February 21 verdict at Austria's Supreme Court.

Ultimately, the final decision rests with Justice Minister Wolfgang Brandstetter, said Judge Leo Levnaic-Iwanski who headed the panel of the Upper State Court.

Minutes after Levnaic-Iwanski announced the verdict, a spokeswoman for Austrian prosecutors said Firtash had been detained on a European arrest warrant based on a separate Spanish request.

The spokewoman said it was too early to say if implementing the European warrant might have an impact on the extradition proceedings. Spanish media said the request was in relation to suspected money laundering.

Firtash is a co-owner along with Russia's Gazprom of RosUkrEnergo, a Swiss-registered company that exports natural gas from Turkmenistan to Eastern Europe. He is said to have made his fortune selling gas to the Ukrainian government when Yanukovych was in power.

Firtash was indicted by a U.S. grand jury in 2013 in connection with some $18.5 million in bribes allegedly paid for a permit to mine titanium in India.

He was detained in Vienna in March 2014 on the U.S. charges, but he was set free after posting bail of 125 million euros ($133 million), and an Austrian judge rejected a U.S. extradition request as politically motivated.

On February 21, Judge Levnaic-Iwanski said the United States had provided further documents to strengthen its case against Firtash since the previous Austrian court ruling.

Firtash, who is also wanted on criminal charges in Ukraine, has not left Austria since his initial detention.

A U.S. Justice Department spokeswoman, in an email sent in reply to an RFE/RL request for comment, said: “While, as a general policy, the U.S. Department of Justice does not comment on the particulars of pending extradition cases, we would like to extend our thanks to the Government of Austria for our close cooperation on law enforcement matters.”

With reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP

</s>A court in Austria has overturned a previous court ruling and granted a U.S. request to extradite Ukrainian billionaire Dmytro Firtash to face bribery allegations.

The Vienna court on February 21 granted an appeal against a previous court decision that the extradition request was "politically motivated."

The court stressed that its ruling did not imply that Firtash was guilty of any crime.

"It will be decided in another country whether he is guilty or not," the judge said.

Firtash, 51, is a co-owner along with Russia's Gazprom of RosUkrEnergo, a Swiss-registered company that exports natural gas from Turkmenistan to Eastern Europe.

U.S. officials were seeking his extradition in connection with some $18.5 million in bribes allegedly paid for a permit to mine titanium in India.

Firtash, once an ally of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, has rejected the allegations as "absurd and unfounded."

Firtash is also wanted on criminal charges in Ukraine.

Based on reporting by Reuters and UNIAN</s>An Austrian appellate court on Tuesday approved the extradition of Dmytro Firtash, a politically-connected Ukrainian oligarch, to the United States where he has been charged with bribery and other crimes.

A lower court had blocked Firtash’s extradition two years ago, ruling that the request by the U.S. Justice Department was politically motivated and tied to an effort by the State Department to influence Ukrainian politics and undermine Russia. Austrian prosecutors appealed that ruling on behalf of the U.S.

Firtash, who made billions as a middleman between Russia and Ukraine in the natural gas business, was a main political patron and financial backer of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who was ousted in February 2014 after months of street protests, the so-called Maidan Revolution.

Tuesday’s hearing coincidentally occurred on the third anniversary of Yanukovych abandoning Kiev and fleeing to Russia, where he now lives. Firtash was arrested days later in Vienna, where he has a home and offices, and was later freed on a record €125 million bail.

Firtash is also connected to Paul Manafort, a political consultant who served as U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign manager for much of the election before being dismissed. Manafort worked as a consultant to Yanukovych and his political party.

In its ruling Tuesday, the appeals court described the approval of the extradition as a procedural matter and said Firtash’s guilt or innocence was a matter to be determined in the United States. After Tuesday’s proceedings, the Austrian authorities arrested Firtash in connection with a separate criminal case in Spain, where he has been charged in connection with money laundering. Spain has also requested his extradition.

The Austrian justice ministry must still make a final decision about sending Firtash to the United States, where his case is pending in a district court in Chicago. U.S. prosecutors charged him, under the Federal Corrupt Practices Act, with allegedly paying $18.5 million in bribes to regional officials in India in an effort to secure a titanium mining deal, which ultimately never materialized. The titanium was supposedly to be sold to Boeing, the American aircraft manufacturer.

In a statement, Firtash’s lawyers said he was innocent and that they would “fight to obtain dismissal of this unjust case.”

“We are disappointed in the Austrian appeals court decision,” the lawyers said. “Mr. Firtash, a Ukrainian, is charged concerning a project in India that was never completed — a project entirely outside of the Unites States that had no effect on the United States and in which the United States has no legitimate interest.”</s>VIENNA: An Austrian court on Tuesday granted a request by the United States to extradite Ukrainian mogul Dmytro Firtash over bribery allegations.

The court in Vienna overturned a previous Austrian court decision to reject the extradition request on the grounds that it was politically motivated.

"The (appeal against the previous decision) has been granted," the judge told the court packed with journalists and Firtash's family. "This does not mean that somebody is being pre-judged as guilty, but rather that it will be decided in another country whether they are guilty or innocent."

Firtash, a former supporter of ousted Moscow-friendly president Viktor Yanukovich who made a fortune selling Russian gas to the Ukrainian government, denies the U.S. allegations.</s>An Austrian court has granted a US request to extradite Ukrainian mogul Dmytro Firtash over bribery allegations.

On Tuesday, the court in Vienna overturned a previous Austrian court decision to reject the extradition request on the grounds that it was politically motivated.

“The [appeal against the previous decision] has been granted,” the judge told the court, which was packed with journalists and Firtash’s family. “This does not mean that somebody is being pre-judged as guilty, but rather that it will be decided in another country whether they are guilty or innocent.”

Firtash is a former supporter of Viktor Yanukovych, the pro-Moscow Ukrainian president who was ousted in 2014. The mogul, who made a fortune selling Russian gas to the Ukrainian government, denies the US allegations.

He was indicted in Chicago by a US grand jury in 2012 for allegedly paying millions of dollars in bribes to Indian officials through US banks in a failed attempt to secure titanium mining rights in India.

Arrested a year later in Vienna, Firtash posted bail of €125m (more than £106m) shortly afterwards, leaving him free but unable to leave Austria.</s>VIENNA: An Austrian court on Tuesday approved the extradition of Ukrainian businessman Dmytro Firtash to the United States in a bribery case, overturning an earlier ruling that had said the U.S. request was politically motivated.

Firtash denies the U.S. bribery allegations. A former supporter of Ukraine's ousted president Viktor Yanukovich, Firtash made a fortune selling Russian gas to the Kiev government.

"(The appeal against the previous ruling) has been granted," the judge told a courtroom packed with journalists and Firtash's family. "This does not mean that somebody is being pre-judged as guilty, but rather that it will be decided in another country whether they are guilty or innocent."

The judge said that since the previous Austrian court ruling the United States had offered further documents, based on witness statements, to strengthen its case against Firtash.

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.

Speaking before Tuesday's verdict, Firtash's lawyer Dieter Boehmdorfer reiterated the accusation that the United States was driven by politics in the case.

"We must not allow Austria to become a stooge for the political world power the USA," Boehmdorfer told the court, adding that Firtash was a victim of a U.S. strategy to minimise Russian influence in Ukraine.

Washington welcomed the ousting of the pro-Russian Yanukovich amid mass street protests in February 2014 and has backed his pro-Western successor, Petro Poroshenko. Yanukovich now lives in exile in Russia.

The Austrian judge dismissed Boehmdorfer's charge of any U.S. political agenda and said Firtash would get a fair trial in the United States.

Firtash, whose business concerns in gas trading and chemicals thrived under Yanukovich, has not returned to Ukraine since his initial detention in Vienna in March 2014.

While his star has waned under the current administration partly due to his exile, Firtash retains influence thanks to his part-ownership of Inter, a top Ukrainian television channel, and his gas distribution and fertiliser businesses.

He is Ukraine’s 16th richest man, with estimated wealth of US$251 million (£202 million) as of 2016, according to Forbes Ukraine.</s>On Tuesday, a Vienna court ruled that Dmitry Firtash, a Ukrainian businessman wanted in the United States on bribery charges, can indeed be extradited to the United States.

It’s not just a new wrinkle in an old case: It potentially has big political implications, too.

In 2015, a lower court had blocked the extradition request, agreeing with Firtash’s legal team that the U.S. case was politically motivated. Firtash allegedly oversaw a scheme to pay $18.5 million to Indian officials to move along a $500 million titanium project in India beginning in 2006. Firtash, in the original case, said he would not confess to bribing the Indian officials, and that his views on how Ukraine should develop are different from those held by the U.S. government.

Indeed: Firtash was an ally of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych — who was backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin — and he was detained in Austria just days after the Kremlin-friendly leader’s March 2014 ouster.

But if the case was politically complicated then, it is hardly less so now. Firtash, rumored to have made a killing in the shady seams of the natural gas business between Russia and Ukraine, allegedly has business ties with Americans — including one Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman.

In August, when reports of Manafort’s ties in the region emerged, Manafort told NBC News, “There was one occasion where an opportunity was explored. … Nothing transpired and no business relationship was ever implemented.”

Rumors are still swirling about the Trump team’s alleged ties to Russia. On Feb. 13, former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn resigned for having lied to Vice President Michael Pence about whether he discussed lifting sanctions with the Russian ambassador to the United States (he did).

On Feb. 14, the New York Times published a report that the Trump team had indeed had contact with Russian officials during the campaign, despite official denials from the White House. Members of Congress from both parties have said they will look into what ties might possibly bind the U.S. president to Russia.

It is as yet unclear whether Trump’s Department of Justice will still want to extradite Firtash, though, so far, there is no sign it would oppose extradition. As Austrian Judge Leo Levnaic-Iwanski said on Tuesday, “It wasn’t for us to judge whether Mr. Firtash was guilty, but only whether the extradition is allowed. This decision only means that another country will make a decision whether he is guilty.”

But which country will that be? After the court’s ruling, Firtash was arrested in Vienna by a plainclothes officer in connection with a separate warrant issued by Spain, which put him on an international wanted list in November, for alleged money laundering. Austria’s Justice Ministry may have to decide where, if anywhere, Firtash will face justice. A spokesperson for the Justice Ministry said it was too soon to say whether the Spanish warrant will impact Firtash’s extradition to the United States.</s>A Vienna court has granted Washington’s request to extradite Ukrainian oligarch Dmitri Firtash to the United States to stand trial on racketeering charges.

Previously, in 2015, an Austrian judge refused the U.S. extradition request. At the time, the judge sided with Firtash’s defense attorneys, deeming the charges against the oligarch — a close associate and supporter of Ukraine’s ousted President Viktor Yanukovych — politically motivated.

Now, the dramatic new ruling and Firtash’s future trial in the United States promise to shed light on the oligarch’s role in Ukraine. There he is regarded as a prominent pro-Russian force.

Firtash stands accused in Chicago of conspiring to pay $18.5 million dollars in bribes to the Indian government in order to gain access to a local titanium mining project. One of the destinations for the titanium was Illinois, leading to Firtash and five business partners facing charges in the U.S.

In March 2014, Firtash was detained in Austria at the request of the FBI, and subsequently released on a $172 million bail. Despite charges against the oligarch, some analysts viewed his arrest as a U.S. attempt to ratchet up pressure on Russia over its annexation of Crimea.

As a businessman, Firtash has enjoyed extensive financial benefits from his ties to Russia’s leadership. He earned much of his wealth from a 45 percent ownership share of RosUkrEnergo, a company that served as the exclusive middleman between Russia’s Gazprom and Ukraine’s Naftogaz gas company.

A 2014 special report by Reuters showed that Gazprom sold gas to Firtash at excessively low prices. The oligarch’s company subsequently sold the gas to Ukraine at a markup, pocketing over $3 billion in the process. Bankers close to Russian President Vladimir Putin also provided Firtash with generous credit lines, allowing him make extensive purchases in the Ukrainian chemical and fertilizer industries, the report concluded.

If found guilty in Chicago, Firtash could face up to 20 years in prison.</s>An Austrian court on Tuesday approved the extradition of Ukrainian businessman Dmytro Firtash to the United States in a bribery case, overturning an earlier ruling that had said the U.S. request was politically motivated. Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash, his wife Lada and lawyer Dieter Boehmdorfer arrive at court in Vienna, Austria, February 21, 2017.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Channelnewsasia.com.</s>Minutes after the extradition verdict was announced, a spokeswoman for Austrian prosecutors said Mr Firtash had been detained on a European arrest warrant based on a separate Spanish request.

The spokewoman said it was too early to say if implementing the European warrant might impact the extradition proceedings.

She could give no details on the Spanish request, though Spanish media said it related to suspected money laundering.

Mr Firtash was indicted in Chicago by a U.S. grand jury in 2012 for allegedly using U.S. banks to pay off Indian officials in a failed attempt to secure titanium mining rights there.

He was arrested in Vienna in March 2014, and has been living there ever since after posting a bail bond of 125 million Euros (£106 billion).

An Austrian judge rejected the initial extradition request, saying it appeared to be a US effort to remove an ally of Mr Yanovych, who had been overthrown in a revolution the previous month, from Ukrainian politics.

Judge Levnaic-Iwanski disagreed, saying Mr Firtash would receive a fair trial in the United States.

Austria’s justice minister has final approval on the extradition.

Mr Firtash, who denies the charges, is one of the richest men in Ukraine and has been linked to the Kremlin, and, indirectly, Donald Trump.

In 2008 he and Paul Manafort, the political consultant who briefly served as chair of Mr Trump’s electoral campaign, were partners in an $895 million deal to buy and redevelop a Manhattan hotel. The deal later fell apart.

Mr Manafort at the time was working as a consultant and lobbyist for Mr Yanukovych, who was putting together his ultimately successful campaign for Ukraine’s 2010 presidential election.

Mr Manafort was forced to resign as Mr Trump’s campaign manager amid allegations that he helped Mr Yanukovych's Party of the Regions secretly move $2.2 million to two major Washington lobbying firms.
An Austrian court grants a United States request to extradite Ukrainian businessman Dmytro Firtash. U.S. officials accuse Firtash of being involved in a scandal where he allegedly paid US$18.5 million in bribes for a permit to mine titanium in India, something Firtash denies.