MOSCOW, November 27 (RAPSI) – French prosecutors will press for the extradition of Israeli businessman Arkady Gaydamak from Switzerland, but no such request was filed as of yet, his attorney Pierre-Daniel Eggly told Russia-24 news channel.

Commenting on the possible cause of Gaydamak’s arrest, the attorney attributed it to alleged financial violations in France, and not the Angola weapons trafficking incident, referred to in France as Angola-gate.

According to investigators, France refused to sell weapons to the government of Jose Eduardo dos Santos during the civil war in Angola. The Angolan authorities then turned to French businessman Falcone, who organized the delivery of US$ 790 million of weapons from Eastern Europe together with Gaydamak.

The first court which heard the case ruled that the transaction was illegal because it was made in France without the permission of the authorities. But the appellate court did not uphold that ruling. Falcone's lawyers convinced the judges that he had the authority to act on behalf of the Angolan authorities because he is an Angolan national.

On October 27, 2009 a Parisian court sentenced Gaydamak and his French associate Pierre Falcone to six years in prison. Former interior minister, senator Charles Pasqua was given one year in prison and a two-year suspended sentence. Gaydamak allegedly paid Pasqua for awarding him the prestigious National Order of Merit.