Greece’s Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the release of French-Israeli mining magnate Beny Steinmetz and blocked his extradition to Romania, overturning a lower court’s ruling.
Steinmetz, 69, had been detained after the Athens Court of Appeals approved his extradition to serve a five-year prison sentence in Romania. His legal team challenged the decision, leading to the Supreme Court’s ruling in his favor.
“The highest court has accepted his appeal, and Mr. Steinmetz is free as of today,” his lawyer, Stavros Togias, told the Financial Times.
Steinmetz was first arrested in Greece on October 13, 2023, upon arrival at Athens International Airport on a private plane. He was initially released with restrictions but was detained again in January after a judicial panel ruled in favor of his extradition. His legal team appealed that decision to the Supreme Court.
His conviction in Romania dates back to 2020, when he was found guilty of forming an “organized criminal group” that conspired with Prince Paul Philippe of Romania to illegally acquire former royal properties worth over $100 million.
This is not the first time a high court has blocked Steinmetz’s extradition. In 2021, the Athens Court of Appeals ruled against sending him to Romania, and Cyprus’ Supreme Court denied an extradition request in August 2023, citing concerns over “degrading and inhuman treatment.”
Steinmetz also faces legal troubles in Switzerland, where he was sentenced in 2021 to three years in prison for bribing the wife of Guinea’s former president to secure rights to one of the world’s largest iron ore deposits. He is currently awaiting a ruling on an appeal filed in early 2023.
Beny Steinmetz: Diamond king
In 1988, he bought his first and largest diamond factory in South Africa. In the coming years, he expanded his activities to other African countries, such as Angola and Botswana. He also branched out into ventures such as mining, real estate and capital markets.
Steinmetz occupies an advisory role in the Beny Steinmetz Group Resources (BSGR) Board of Directors. BSGR is a natural resource company active in the fields of oil & gas, mining, metal and power, headquartered on the island of Guernsey. The group operates in more than 25 countries.
Steinmetz and billionaire George Soros, once business partners, parted company in the 1990s over a Russian business deal gone sour.
He was named in 282 documents in the Panama Papers leak. This included revelations around corruption and improper business dealings in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as further details on activities in Guinea.
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