Washington firmly committed to securing Kozeny's extradition

Washington has said it is firmly committed to securing the extradition of Czech born financier Viktor Kozeny who is wanted on corruption charges both in the Czech Republic and the United States. Kozeny, who now has Irish citizenship, was released on bail from Nassau's Fox Hill Prison in the Bahamas last Friday after US lawyers missed the date of a hearing that would have sealed his extradition to the United States. Kozeny is accused of being the driving force behind a multi-million dollar bribery scheme in Azerbaijan in which US investors lost huge sums of money. He is charged with conspiracy to violate the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and could face a 25 year prison term in the United States if convicted. The Czech born financier also faces criminal charges in the Czech Republic where he is suspected of financial fraud involving 16 billion crowns. Prague has also requested his extradition.