By KYIV. Nov 10 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Supreme Court of France in Paris, after analyzing the materials presented by the prosecution and defense, refused to satisfy the request of the Ukrainian side for the extradition of the Ukrainian businessman, founder of the Finance and Credit group and the largest shareholder of the Ferrexpo mining company, Kostiantyn Zhevaho.
“The decision of the Supreme Court of France clearly states that the state of Ukraine cannot provide a fair trial for Kostiantyn Zhevaho. Therefore, the case against him is being dropped. In addition, all existing restrictions have been lifted from Mr. Zhevaho,” the businessman’s press service said on Friday.
The press release cites Zhevaho’s opinion that this decision of the French court confirms signs of political persecution and pressure, the fabrication of the case against the businessman and the lack of legal basis for it.
Zhevaho expressed hope that the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) and the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine will hear the decision of international courts and will continue to comply with the law when considering this case.
The press service recalled that earlier the businessman’s lawyers had already accused law enforcement officers of numerous offenses in the above-mentioned case, in particular, bringing to justice an obviously innocent person, non-recognition and non-admission of defense lawyers to criminal proceedings, carrying out a groundless search, preventing the accused from giving evidence, failure to provide materials pretrial investigation.
Zhevaho reiterated that he wants to bring the case, which has been under investigation for more than four years in violation of procedures, as soon as possible, either to closure or to consideration in court, but neither the State Bureau of Investigation nor the Prosecutor General’s Office shows any interest in this. Meanwhile, the businessman said, it damages his business and personal reputation.
As reported, the extradition request for the extradition of Zhevaho was submitted by the Ukrainian side, in particular the Office of the Prosecutor General and the State Bureau of Investigation, as part of a criminal investigation into the alleged embezzlement of funds from the Finance and Credit Bank. The SBI accuses Zhevaho and a number of top managers of the bank of organizing a mechanism for embezzling $113 million and damaging the interests of the state and the financial institution’s depositors.
According to the SBI, today the property of the suspect and associated legal entities has been seized, in particular, “shares in his enterprises worth hundreds of millions of hryvnias, 26 real estate properties, 14 property complexes, 21 parts of property complexes, 30 nonresidential premises and 10 apartments.”
The Pechersky District Court of Kyiv ordered to detain Zhevaho at the end of 2019, and he was put on the international wanted list in the summer of 2021, although the businessman’s lawyers denied this fact.
Zhevaho was detained at the end of 2022 in Courchevel at the request of the State Bureau of Investigation. He was arrested for a short time, and on January 5, 2023, he was released on bail of EUR 1 million and judicial supervision pending consideration of the case. On March 30, a court in Chambery (France) rejected the Ukrainian side’s request to extradite the businessman.
