MOSCOW, August 19 (RAPSI) - An Austrian court will consider Russia’s request for the extradition of former Bashneft CEO Ural Rakhimov, who stands accused of embezzling over 210 billion rubles (about $3.2 billion), not earlier than this fall, RIA Novosti reports Wednesday citing Christina Salzborn, Vienna Regional Criminal Court spokeswoman.
“After consultations with the competent judge, I can announce that all the documents have arrived from Russia. They need to be reviewed, and then a date for the extradition hearing will be set,” Salzborn said.
Earlier, Kommersant newspaper had reported that the Vienna court would decide on the extradition this week.
Bashneft was controlled was controlled by the government of Russia’s Bashkortostan region until 2003, when a major stake was sold to companies affiliated with Ural Rakhimov, son of the former head of Bashkortostan Murtaza Rakhimov.
The company was privatized in 2009, when Russian oil-to-telecoms conglomerate Sistema gained control of it.
A court in Moscow ruled that Bashneft was privatized in violation of law. The Prosecutor General's Office brought a suit to return a 71.6 percent stake in Bashneft to the government. The Moscow Commercial Court ruled on October 30, 2014, in favor of the Prosecutor General's Office.
Rakhimov, who has been living in Austria for the past six years, has reportedly received a residence permit there and hopes to get Austrian citizenship soon.
The Basmanny District Court of Moscow has issued a warrant for Rakhimov’s arrest in absentia.