Israeli billionaire Beny Steinmetz was detained at Athens Airport on Sunday under an international arrest warrant. The 68-year-old businessman, who arrived from Tel Aviv, is wanted for suspected involvement in a criminal organization, according to the eKathimerini portal.
Greek authorities said the arrest was based on a warrant issued by Romania. This comes despite a 2022 Greek court ruling that rejected Romania’s request to extradite Steinmetz. The court had ruled that Romania could not guarantee a fair trial and that Steinmetz could face inhumane treatment.
On Monday, a Greek court was scheduled to hear an appeal regarding Steinmetz’s detention.
This is not Steinmetz’s first brush with legal trouble. A year ago, he was arrested at Larnaca Airport in Cyprus under a European Arrest Warrant from Romania, but he was later released on bail.
Steinmetz, who made his wealth through diamond trading, was sentenced in absentia in Romania in 2020 for fraudulent land deals. He has also been convicted in Switzerland for document forgery and bribing officials in Guinea to secure mining rights for iron ore deposits.
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