A former Ministry of Culture official has already appealed a court decision in Vienna on his extradition to Russia, where he is accused of embezzlement.
Vienna's Criminal Court of Vienna has agreed to extradite former Ministry of Culture official Boris Maso to Russia, Interfax and TASS reported. In Russia, he is accused of embezzlement and subsequent legalization of budget funds.
“This decision was made on October 15, 2019, and is currently appealed. The consideration of the complaint about the extradition of Mazo to the Russian Federation is scheduled for January 7, 2020, ”the court told Interfax.
The representative of the Vienna court promised that the Russian authorities will notify the final decision through the Austrian Ministry of Justice. She noted that the court is also considering a request for the extradition of Mazo to Spain, but there is no decision on this issue.
Maso is a defendant in two investigations about thefts in the Ministry of Culture. In the "case of restorers" about the theft of more than 100 million rubles. the ex-official escaped a long time, and when he became a defendant in the second case - the theft of 450 million rubles. - He was no longer in Russia.
In July 2018, the Spanish secret services suspected a Russian of money laundering when buying real estate in Marbella for € 4 million. The Spanish police said that they were talking about funds allegedly obtained from tax and corruption crimes in Russia.
On November 7, Mazo was detained in Austria at the request of Spain, a Vienna court released him from custody on bail of € 25 thousand, forbidding him to leave the country. A week later, a former official of the Ministry of Culture told RBC that he asked for political asylum in Austria. The goal of the criminal case against himself, Maso called an attempt to prevent the reassignment of Vladimir Medinsky to the post of Minister of Culture during the formation of the government in May 2018. According to the ex-official, real estate in Spain was acquired six months before the allocation of funds for the restoration of the Hermitage, the theft of which he is accused of.