15 November 2017•Update: 16 November 2017
By Tony Rigopoulos
ATHENS
The Greek Supreme Court on Wednesday postponed the extradition appeal case of Russian national Alexander Vinnik, arrested in July over an alleged international bitcoin fraud amounting to $4 billion.
He is wanted in the U.S. on charges of involvement in running a digital exchange company implicated in a range of international crimes.
A Greek court in October ruled in favor of his extradition to the U.S. but the case has become more complicated after Russia also filed a request to take Vinnik in relation to another, much smaller, fraud charge.
Vinnik has denied all the accusations but has not filed an appeal against his extradition to his homeland, Russia.
Vinik’s attorney, Alexandros Lykouretzos, told reporters in Athens: “We requested that today’s trial is postponed, so that two important witnesses are able to come to Greece and testify.”
Ilias Spyrliadis, another attorney for Vinnik, said: “We have contacted the real owner of the company our client is accused of owning, and he has filed a lawsuit for hundreds of millions of euros in Cyprus.
This is a new element that we are going to use in the next trial.”
The extradition requests by the U.S. and Russia are complicating the case politically and it is possible that Greek Justice Minister Stavros Kontonis will take a final decision, should both requests by accepted by the Greek judicial system.
Another hearing is set for Dec. 6.
