Ukrainian tycoon accused of bribing Indian officials arrested in Austria

VIENNA: Austria on Wednesday arrested Dmytro Firtash, wanted in the US over charges that he and five others paid $18.5 million in bribes to Indian officials to secure titanium mining licences in 2006.

One of Ukraine’s richest men, Firtash was taken into custody over alleged links to organised crime in Spain after a Vienna court ruled he could be extradited to the US on corruption charges.

Firtash, 51, made money through connections with Russian gas giant Gazprom, and was at one time linked to a former campaign aide of US President Donald Trump. He has denied all charges and maintained he was the victim of a smear campaign.

The United States argues it has jurisdiction because the conspiracy involved using US financial institutions, travel to and from the US, and use of US-based communications — computers, telephones, and the internet.

Observers say the US wants to detain Firtash because he holds information on allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The case against Firtash in the United States will not be limited only to the bribery allegations in India,” said Ukrainian MP Sergiy Leshchenko, a former journalist who has investigated Firtash’s case.

Austria had arrested Firtash in Vienna in March 2014, but he was released on a record Austrian bail of 125 million euros ($130 million). AFP