Israeli billionaire Beny Steinmetz detained in Greece
On Sunday at Athens Airport, Israeli billionaire Beny Steinmetz was detained. He is wanted on an international arrest warrant, suspected of involvement in a criminal group, the eKathimerini portal reported on Monday.
14 October 2024 17:38
The Greek authorities stated that the 68-year-old businessman was detained after arriving from Tel Aviv, based on an arrest warrant issued by Romania.
Beny Steinmetz detained
The decision to detain him was made despite a 2022 ruling by a Greek court that rejected Romania's request for Steinmetz's extradition. The judges argued at the time that Romania would not provide the billionaire with a fair trial and that there was a risk that he would be treated inhumanely. On Monday, a Greek court is set to review the appeal in the businessman's case.
A year ago, Steinmetz was detained at Larnaca Airport in Cyprus due to a European Arrest Warrant issued by Romania, but he was released after posting bail.
Steinmetz, who made his fortune in the diamond trade, was sentenced in absentia in Romania in 2020 for fraudulent land transactions. Furthermore, in Switzerland, he was convicted of document forgery and bribing officials in Guinea in exchange for iron ore mining concessions.
