Beny Steinmetz faces extradition from Greece as corruption cases pile up
Beny Steinmetz faces extradition from Greece as corruption cases pile up
A Greek court reverses its 2022 decision, clearing the way for Steinmetz to be sent to Romania, where he was sentenced in absentia.
An Athens court has rejected an appeal filed by Beny Steinmetz against his extradition to Romania, following an international arrest warrant issued against him. Steinmetz remains hospitalized in Greece and is unable to leave the country. His lawyer stated: "We have filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of Greece."
In 2020, Romania’s Supreme Court convicted Steinmetz in absentia in a land-grabbing and bribery case involving the former king’s grandson. The case, which took place between 2006 and 2008, allegedly involved about $100 million. Steinmetz was sentenced to five years in prison. Romanian authorities have described the case as one of the country’s biggest corruption scandals, alleging that officials helped Steinmetz take over state land in exchange for gifts and bribes.
According to the verdict, the case involved, among other things, a 28-dunam farm, which Steinmetz and his associates allegedly attempted to seize by transferring ownership to the Romanian heir to the throne. Steinmetz has claimed that his conviction was politically motivated and that he did not receive a fair trial. He has appealed to the European Court of Justice.
Meanwhile, Romanian authorities have pursued his extradition. Steinmetz was arrested in Athens last October, just hours after landing at the airport on his private plane. His arrest was based on an international warrant issued by Romania and circulated via Interpol. Steinmetz was later released under restrictive conditions that prevent him from leaving Greece until the extradition case is resolved.
His arrest came despite a Greek court’s 2022 decision to reject Romania's extradition request. At the time, the court accepted Steinmetz’s argument that he would not receive a fair trial in Romania and could face inhumane treatment.
Legal Battles in Switzerland
Steinmetz is also involved in a legal battle in Switzerland, where he was convicted in 2021 of corruption and money laundering in connection with bribery related to iron mining rights in Guinea. Last September, he appealed his conviction to the Criminal Appeals and Review Chamber (CPAR) in Geneva.
Steinmetz was sentenced to three years in prison—of which he is expected to serve 18 months—and fined 50 million Swiss francs. His sentence had initially been five years but was reduced on appeal.
According to the Swiss verdict, between 2006 and 2011, Steinmetz paid bribes to Mamadie Touré, the wife of former Guinean President Lansana Conté, through a network of shell companies. These payments, totaling $8.5 million, were disguised as consulting fees. The court found that Steinmetz influenced the awarding of mining rights in Simandou, a region that contains one of the world’s largest iron ore deposits.
The Case in Israel: Ordered to Pay NIS 17 Million
Alongside the legal proceedings in Romania and Switzerland, Israel also launched a criminal investigation into Steinmetz for allegedly bribing a foreign public official. In 2022, six years after the investigation began, Israeli authorities reached a settlement with Steinmetz and his associates, Avi Lev-Ran and Michael Har Noy. Under the settlement, no indictments were filed, and the three agreed to a civil forfeiture of NIS 23 million. Steinmetz’s share of the settlement amounted to NIS 17 million.
Steinmetz’s lawyer, Stavros Togias, criticized the Athens court’s ruling, saying:
“This development raises serious concerns, as the Athens Court of Appeals has issued a ruling that contradicts its own 2022 decision in the same case, as well as the extradition request from the Romanian authorities. The new decision also contradicts the prosecutor's recommendation.
“Despite the deep disappointment caused by the ruling, it does not undermine my client's trust in the Greek justice system. For this reason, we have already filed an appeal with the Supreme Court. We are confident that the rule of law will ultimately prevail over the tactics and misconduct of the Romanian authorities.
“It is worth noting that Interpol, Italy, and Cyprus have ruled that Romania's extradition request in Steinmetz's case is invalid. Additionally, similar extradition requests for other defendants in the same case have been rejected by France, Belgium, and Malta.”
