Israeli mining tycoon Benny Steinmetz, who was detained in Athens yesterday at the request of Romanian authorities, was released from custody today but is barred from leaving the country pending a court decision on his extradition request to Romania, Greek police sources said. , cited by Reuters.
The 68-year-old Steinmetz was detained yesterday, a few hours after he arrived on a private plane at Athens International Airport, the quoted sources said. A European arrest warrant against him was issued by Romania on charges including involvement in a criminal organization, a Greek police official said on condition of anonymity.
This afternoon, Steinmetz appeared before a magistrate, who ordered his release on bail with certain restrictions, including a travel ban outside Greece, pending a court decision on his arrest or extradition, BTA writes.
In 2022, a Greek court hearing his case based on an arrest warrant issued by Romania opposed the extradition.
Benny Steinmetz’s lawyers rejected as “baseless” the accusations by the Romanian authorities and described as “abuse” the extradition request presented by Romania, arguing that he has the right to travel freely.
According to Steinmetz’s lawyer in Greece, Stavros Togias, the Greek judicial authorities have irrevocably rejected his extradition to Romania.
“It would be an unprecedented case for the rule of law in Greece or in any other respectable country for such an administrative act to overturn a decision of the Greek judiciary, which finally and irrevocably ruled against his extradition to Romania, recognizing his right to travel freely.” Togias said in a statement after the tycoon’s arrest.
In November 2023, the Court of Appeal of Cyprus opposed Steinmetz’s extradition to Romania, rejecting a lower court decision. A court in Italy also rejected a similar request from Romania to extradite Steinmetz, the agency reminds.
Steinmetz was sentenced in absentia to five years in prison by Romania’s Supreme Court of Cassation in 2020 for illegal property deals between 2006 and 2008 – a sentence he is appealing.
He is also embroiled in a separate legal battle in Switzerland, where he was found guilty of corruption in a case related to permits to explore iron ore deposits in Guinea.