WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Dmytro Firtash, a 49-year-old Ukrainian billionaire, who was indicted in the United States in 2013 on suspicion of paying bribes to officials in India in order to gain access to the country's mineral resources, was arrested in Austria last year, at the request of US authorities.
"We are disappointed with the court's ruling and have filed an appeal," Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr said on Thursday.
Firtash told the Vienna court on Thursday that accusations of him having conspired to bribe Indian government officials were untrue. After 10-hour court deliberations, Judge Christopher Bauer announced that the US request to extradite the Ukrainian oligarch had been denied.
Firtash, an energy, chemicals and media mogul and a known supporter of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, claims the indictment issued by Washington against him is groundless and politically motivated.
The oligarch's legal team argued on Thursday that Washington perceives Firtash as a proponent of Russian interests in Ukraine.
Meanwhile the US Justice Department says Firtash's 20014 arrest is not related to the Ukrainian conflict.
