An Austrian court allowed one of the owners of the Opposition Bloc, oligarch Firtash, to return to Ukraine

A couple of days before the elections, sensational news came from Austria. A Vienna court allowed Ukrainian gas oligarch Dmitry Firtash to return to Ukraine.

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Lawyers for Dmitry Firtash and the Austrian prosecutor's office received a decision from the Vienna Regional Court, which gives the businessman the opportunity to return to Ukraine. Interfax-Ukraine reports this with reference to an informed source.

“The court’s decision is favorable for Dmitry Firtash, it removes all restrictions on activities, including giving him the opportunity to leave Austria. We expect that Dmitry Firtash will return to Ukraine in the near future,” the agency’s interlocutor noted.

As noted, after returning to Ukraine, Firtash intends to take part in the congress of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, which he heads.

Let us remind you that the chairman of the board of the Group DF group of companies, the head of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine, Dmitry Firtash, was arrested in Austria on March 12, 2014 at the request of the US authorities. The Vienna Regional Court for Criminal Cases chose a preventive measure in the form of extradition arrest, but agreed to release him on bail of 125 million euros and an obligation not to leave Austria. On April 30, 2015, the same court rejected the US Department of Justice’s request to extradite Firtash to this country. According to Judge Christoph Bauer, the American side failed to provide sufficient evidence to substantiate its charges. He also said that Firtash could leave Austria, but would have to appear at the appeal hearing.

The Austrian prosecutor's office immediately appealed the court's decision. The judge clarified that the businessman's bail will not be returned until the court decision comes into force. At the same time, Firtash stated that he intended to return to Ukraine, but did not specify specific dates, citing procedural issues.

The US Department of Justice accused Firtash, as well as a member of the Indian Parliament and other officials, of creating an international corruption scheme. Firtash, Indian MP Ramachandra Rao, Hungarian businessman Andras Knopp, Ukrainian citizen Suren Gevorgyan and two businessmen from India and Sri Lanka allegedly bribed Indian officials to gain access to mineral deposits. The Justice Department estimates that since 2006, approximately $18,5 million has been paid in bribes to Indian officials in exchange for permission to develop a mining mine in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

In June 2015, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Arsen Avakov, reported that 86 Ostchem real estate properties had been arrested as part of the investigation, adding that another 35 properties, as well as 133 land plots of the companies of Firtash and the Ukrainian businessman, MP from the “Opposition Bloc” Sergei Levochkin, “are at work” at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

As reported, Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin promised to meet Firtash upon his return to Ukraine with flowers.

Let us remind you that Firtash is one of the main co-owners of the Opposition Blow party, along with ex-regionals Sergei Lyovochkin, Rinat Akhmetov and Vadim Novinsky. The opposition bloc is considered one of the favorites in the current elections, they are tipped for revenge in both local and parliamentary elections, and are also reasonably suspected of a concerted game against national radicals together with Poroshenko.

Let us also recall that the testimony given by Firtash under oath in an Austrian court caused the effect of a bomb exploding in Ukraine. In particular, the oligarch spoke about the role of the Americans in the Maidan, as well as how, as a result of a secret conspiracy with his participation, Poroshenko and Klitschko, who specially flew to Vienna for a confidential meeting with the oligarch, were brought to power in Ukraine.