LONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters) – The previous chief govt of an Austrian financial institution who faces prices in the USA in relation to a bribery and cash laundering conspiracy involving Brazilian development firm Odebrecht requested a London court docket on Wednesday to refuse to extradite him.
Peter Weinzierl – former chief govt of Meinl Financial institution, later renamed Anglo Austrian AAB Financial institution – is accused of serving to launder a whole bunch of tens of millions of {dollars} in a scheme involving the usage of slush funds to pay bribes to public officers world wide.
The 57-year-old Austrian nationwide, who denies the allegations, attended Westminster Magistrates’ Courtroom as his attorneys mentioned in closing arguments that U.S prosecutors “intentionally misdescribed” Weinzierl’s position to safe his extradition from Britain.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which is in search of the extradition on behalf of the USA, mentioned in court docket filings that Weinzierl is trying to argue the deserves of the prosecution case, which needs to be decided at trial.
James Lewis, representing Weinzierl, argued his shopper’s extradition shouldn’t be allowed as a result of Weinzierl was “lured” to Britain in Could 2021 by an alleged U.S. legislation enforcement agent so as to arrest him.
However Rosemary Davidson, representing the CPS, mentioned in written arguments that there are “no cheap grounds” to imagine Weinzierl was lured to Britain to arrest him. She added this might not be a motive to not extradite him even when true.
Odebrecht has admitted it doled out bribes to governments throughout Latin America to assist construct its huge development empire.
In 2016, Odebrecht and its mother or father firm, Braskem (BRKM5.SA), Brazil’s largest petrochemicals firm, agreed to pay at the very least $3.5 billion to settle bribery-related prices introduced by U.S., Brazilian and Swiss regulators.
The scandal over bribes for public-works contracts has additionally unfold to different nations the place Odebrecht did enterprise, together with Peru, Mexico, Argentina and Colombia.
Odebrecht modified its identify in December 2020 to Novonor SA (ODBES.UL), after its identify turned synonymous with graft resulting from its position in Brazil’s sweeping Automotive Wash corruption investigation.
Reporting by Sam Tobin in London
Enhancing by Matthew Lewis
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