The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) did not say that Hungary had to extradite MOL CEO Zsolt Hernadi to Croatia, but that a Hungarian court had to decide on the extradition request, said Laura Valkovic, Hernadi’s Croatian attorney, on Thursday.

“Most of the media and pundits have completely misinterpreted the CJEU’s ruling. That court does not say in any part of its ruling that Hungary has to extradite Hernadi but that a Hungarian court is obliged to decide on that request,” Valkovic said.

She added that this was a procedural decision that does not enter into the merits of the case. “The decision just says that Hungary has to decide on Croatia’s request and not, as has been incorrectly interpreted, that it has to extradite Hernadi within 60 days,” Valkovic told Hina.

The European Court in Luxembourg said on Wednesday that Hungary should not have ignored the European arrest warrant for Hernadi only based on a decision of its Public Prosecutor’s Office to close a criminal investigation, within which he was interviewed only as a witness.

“Judicial authorities of the Member States are required to adopt a decision on any European arrest warrant communicated to them,” the court said in a press release.

Croatian Justice Minister Drazen Bosnjakovic said on Thursday he expected Hungary to execute the arrest warrant in compliance with CJEU’s decision.

The European arrest warrant for Hernadi, which some states have ignored, was issued after Croatia’s anti-corruption office Uskok accused him of giving former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader €10 million in bribes so that the Hungarian oil company MOL could acquire management rights in Croatian Ina energy company.

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