US arrests spy who lured ex-Maine boss Weincierle to London

Former Meinl Bank boss Peter Weinsierl will not escape extradition to the US. But the arrest of a former CIA agent reveals new reasons for the American justice system to care more about him. The US is concerned about money laundering through Russian and Ukrainian channels.

Vienna will see his relief on Tuesday evening. “What we always said has come true,” Peter Weinsierl told “Presse”. The Vienna State Prosecutor's Office (StA) had been investigating Meinl Bank's former employer since 2008. Other people were also affected, such as Julius Meinl V, the former chairman of the supervisory board of the defunct private bank. A serious business fraud was suspected to the detriment of many investors.

On Tuesday, the STA announced it was suspending operations as it could not prove “malicious intent”. The breach of trust investigation was also stopped. “Even if it took 16 years, it is satisfying that the Vienna public prosecutor's office recognizes when the measures do not reach their goal,” said Weinsierl. “It would be nice if the other authorities in Vienna looked the same.”