Ukrainian tycoon Dmytro Firtash, using acquaintances among the British elite, tries to defend extradition to the US, which blame the entrepreneur conspiring to bribe Indian bureaucrats.
Firtash, while in Vienna, was requested by the United States detained Austrian law enforcement agencies. But he was released on bail in the amount of 125 million euros, and now he can't leave Austria, And the United States is seeking his extradition, saying " Vedomosti ". First of Firtash said that trying to establish contact in the UK to improve the reputation of Ukraine in the West, And to restore their own. For several years the reputation of Firtash has deteriorated, partly because of the investigation the U.S. on the issue of his possible links with organized crime, which he denies. One of the main allies of Firtash - Raymond Asquith, British peer and former intelligence officer. In the secret services, it is known that in 1985 were Taken from the Soviet Union in the trunk of his car double agent for the KGB. In 2004 Firtash began cooperating with Gazprom to sell gas to Ukraine and Central Europe. The U.S. justice Department in the mid-2000s began to investigate the possible link Firtash Semyon Mogilevich. According to sources, Firtash " said that he was forced to deal with members of organized criminal groups, including Mogilevich, another would never be able to build your own business ". Firtash was sent to Washington Asquith and Robert Shetler-Jones, entrepreneur and son of an employee of the Ministry of foreign Affairs of great Britain. There on his behalf, they met with representatives of the U.S. Department of justice. According to their statements, they told me that Firtash was a partner of Gazprom, but was not associated with Mogilevich. Soon afterwards Firtash again turned to Asquith and Shetler-Jones, so they helped him to develop relationships in the UK. In 2005, Firtash has invested $1 million in environmental company Asquith and took a 25% stake in it. And in the coming year, the shelter-Jones joined a private Ukrainian business with the firm Firtash and now is Deputy head of the Supervisory Board of Group DF. Currently, the Ukrainian billionaire calls the Shelter Jones his " Minister of foreign Affairs " and those who are aware and know his thoughts. Despite the replacement of the authorities in Ukraine in February of the current year impact of Firtash in London has not decreased. For this reason, Authorized by the Ministry of foreign Affairs of great Britain was asked to arrange a meeting with Ukrainian entrepreneur, on which employees of the foreign Ministry was asked about his views on the situation in Kiev and its contacts with Russia.


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sections: Politics