German court declines to extradite ex-lawmaker Oleksandr Onyshchenko

The Higher Regional Court of Oldenburg in Germany on May 27 rejected the Ukrainian prosecution’s appeal to extradite Oleksandr Onyshchenko, a fugitive former lawmaker, who is wanted in Ukraine for alleged fraud and money laundering.

Onyshchenko, who is suspected of organizing a $125-million fraud scheme in the country’s natural gas sector, fled Ukraine in 2016  to avoid possible criminal charges. He had been living in Europe, including in Spain and Germany, before being arrested at the end of November 2019.