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Interpol re-issues arrest warrant for Hungary's MOL CEO

Xinhua, February 18, 2015 Adjust font size:

Interpol re-issued on Tuesday an international arrest warrant for the chief executive officer of the Hungarian oil and gas company MOL, Zsolt Hernadi, on charges of bribery.

Croatian state attorney office (DORH) accused Hernadi of giving an 11.4 million U.S. dollar bribe to former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader in 2008, in an effort to help MOL gain management rights in Croatia's oil and gas company INA. MOL got the leverage in management rights, despite having only 47.26 percent of INA's shares.

The first arrest warrant for Hernadi was released by Interpol in February 2013 after Sanader was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison for INA and other corruption cases.

The warrant was temporary revoked in February 2014 after Hernadi's lawyers claimed it was not done in accordance to all needed regularities.

After receiving additional documents and information, Interpol decided to put Hernadi back on the wanted list.

During the investigation against Hernadi, Hungarian authorities turned down Croatia's requests to question or to serve him with the summons, citing national interests concerns.

Hungarian prosecutor's office refused to extradite Hernadi after the first warrant was issued, claiming that information on MOL's acquisition of INA would "harm Hungary's national interests".

Hernadi claimed his innocence and refused to turn himself in. Enditem