Mining mogul Steinmetz detained in Cyprus on European Arrest Warrant
Mining mogul Steinmetz detained in Cyprus on European Arrest Warrant
Steinmetz, according to a statement from the spokesperson, was detained on Thursday "during his arrival at the Larnaca airport, due to an European Arrest Warrant (EAW) issued by the Romanian authorities, which has already been canceled in various European countries, among them in Greece and Italy"
Israeli mining magnate Beny Steinmetz has been detained in Cyprus on a Romanian-issued warrant, a spokesperson for Steinmetz said on Sunday.
Steinmetz, according to a statement from the spokesperson, was detained on Thursday "during his arrival at the Larnaca airport, due to an European Arrest Warrant (EAW) issued by the Romanian authorities, which has already been canceled in various European countries, among them in Greece and Italy."
A hearing regarding Steinmetz's arrest took place at the court in Larnaca on Friday, and it was determined that he would remain in custody at this stage. Steinmetz was sentenced to 5 years in prison by the Supreme Court in Romania for his involvement in a large-scale fraud case. Steinmetz has appealed this verdict to the The European Court of Human Rights.
It is worth noting that Steinmetz also faces a three-year prison sentence in Switzerland, one and a half years of which would be spent in jail, following his conviction for bribing the former president of Guinea. He has appealed this verdict to a federal court in the country.
A statement on behalf of Steinmetz read: "This is a warrant that has been annulled in various European countries, including Greece and Italy. In March 2022, the Appeals Court of Athens in Greece rejected the request of the Romanian authorities to extradite Beny Steinmetz, citing violations of his right to a fair trial in Romania, as well as the genuine risk of him facing discriminatory, inhumane, and humiliating treatment if extradited. Therefore, the EAW was clearly invalidated by the Greek judge.
"Furthermore, in Italy, the Italian authorities decided not to implement the EAW for the same reasons.
"It is also important to note that Interpol canceled its red notice, thereby nullifying the international arrest warrant issued by the Romanians against Steinmetz. This decision was made after identifying a series of human rights violations and a breach of his fundamental right to a fair trial in Romania. The Interpol report explicitly states that Steinmetz's case was politically motivated.
"Steinmetz welcomes the opportunity to vindicate himself in another European country in the proceedings against Romania, a country known for its disregard for human rights. Steinmetz remains confident that justice will prevail in Cyprus as well, affirming the robust foundations of the moral and legal system of the European Union against undemocratic practices like those of the Romanian authorities."
In April, a Swiss appeals court said it had upheld a guilty verdict for corruption against Steinmetz, who was sentenced in Geneva two years ago in one of the mining industry's most high-profile legal disputes.
However, the court acquitted him of an earlier charge of forgery. Steinmetz called the decision "unfair and politically motivated."
The March 28 ruling followed seven days of hearings in August-September 2022 in which Steinmetz and two other defendants challenged an earlier verdict which found they had paid, or arranged payment, of bribes to obtain exploration permits for the world's richest untapped deposits of iron ore in Guinea, and of forging documents to cover it up.
The higher court's three judges reduced Steinmetz's five-year prison sentence to three years of which 18 months must be served, citing the amount of time elapsed. The earlier 50 million Swiss francs ($55 million) fine was upheld.
During the appeal, lawyers for Steinmetz called for his full acquittal or, failing that, for the case's closure on the grounds that Switzerland was not the appropriate venue to rule on the case since the alleged crimes were not committed there.
In its ruling in January 2021, a lower court in Geneva found Steinmetz and two others paid, or arranged payment, of $8.5 million in bribes between 2006 and 2012 to one of the wives of former Guinea president Lansana Conte, Mamadie Toure, to obtain exploration permits for iron ore buried beneath the Simandou mountains in Guinea.
Reuters contributed to this report
