Johannesburg - It happened at the dead of night when Israeli fugitive rabbi and alleged sex-pest Eliezer Berland returned to his home country.
Department of Justice spokesman Advocate Mthunzi Mhaga confirmed to The Star on Tuesday morning that he was extradited and escorted back to Israel on Monday night’s El-Al flight by Interpol. He added that details of the extradition were still sketchy.
The flight departed Joburg at 11.45pm and landed in Israel’s Ben Gurion’s airport on Tuesday morning.
An extradition order was signed by Justice Minister Michael Masutha on June 3.
One of his followers who asked not to be identified informed The Star on Sunday that Berland would be leaving the country on Monday night.
The follower also said that Berland had decided not to fight the extradition order as originally planned. “He will go back to face them but he decided on his own.
“He is innocent and he wants to clear his name, he didn’t go because he is guilty,” the follower said.
In a recording released on Sunday, Berland called upon his followers to pray for him. “This is a pivotal moment for me as I make my preparations to return, I need you to join me in prayer.”
An alleged recording of Berland’s son Nachman lambasting him and calling him “a criminal” also emerged on Monday morning but in a letter posted late on Monday, Berland’s son denied all this.
“It’s all fake – it’s lies I revere my father, how can I discredit him like that? I would never say such words against him.”
Last month Berland’s lawyers launched an urgent application at the Joburg High Court in a bid for the fugitive to be released from prison while awaiting a review on his extradition.
They claimed his incarceration was “unlawful” as procedures were not followed regarding his committal order. However Judge Fayeeza Kathree-Setiloane said that though the magistrate didn’t follow the sequence, it doesn’t impair the legal validity of the committal order.
Kathree-Setiloane ruled that Berland would not be released on bail-like conditions and also advised that there was a good chance he would lose the extradition review.
Berland has been on the run from Israel since February 2013.
He was wanted for questioning in connection with allegations of sexual assault and assault to cause grievous bodily harm.
Four of his alleged victims testimonies were included in the Extradition Request sent to the Department of Justice.
One of the women he allegedly sexually assaulted in 2007 said she blamed herself and thought she had done something to deserve what he did to her.
Another case was a woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted by him in 2012. She said she was summoned by Berland and when she entered his room he grabbed her by the neck and back and began licking her and putting his hands under her shirt grabbing her breasts.
The Star