Chinanews.com, Paris, January 6th. Ukrainian billionaire and mining tycoon Kostiantyn Zhevago was suspected of embezzlement of public funds and appeared in court in France on the 5th local time.
According to French media reports, the Ukrainian billionaire claimed in a French court that day that his charges of embezzlement had nothing to do with money laundering.
He also strongly opposed his extradition, claiming the case against him was "politically motivated".
The Ukrainian side submitted 244 pages of documents designed to support the extradition request, the report said.
Ukraine filed a lawsuit against him and related bank executives as early as 2019, accusing them of misappropriating more than $100 million from the bank.
Jevag also reportedly served as a member of the Ukrainian parliament from 1998 to 2019.
Jevager was arrested by French police at a ski resort in the French Alps late last year.
Jevag's lawyers are seeking his release on bail, which prosecutors say could be potentially risky.
The court found he had "considerable resources" to finance the trip.
Jevaq, whose daily residence is in Dubai, his family lives in London, and he has applied for asylum in Gibraltar.
According to reports, since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, Jevag's personal wealth has been shrinking.
Forbes estimated his net worth at $1.3 billion last year, down from $2.2 billion before the Ukraine crisis.
(Finish)