Interpol issues arrest warrant for cab driver's murderer

After fleeing Israel 4 years ago for Argentina, Ben-Ivgi is on the run again and is believed to have left the South American country.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
ivgi 224.88 (photo credit: Courtesy )
ivgi 224.88
(photo credit: Courtesy )
Interpol has issued an international arrest warrant for Israeli Moshe Ben-Ivgi, who was convicted for the 1994 murder of cab driver Derek Roth. After fleeing Israel four years ago for Argentina, Ben-Ivgi is on the run again, and is believed to have left the South American country. In a murder which shocked Israel, Derek Roth was shot several times in the back while in his cab. Ben-Ivgi, who was aged 14 during the murder, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The murder was carried out by Ben-Ivgi and a second teenage accomplice, Arbel Aloni. Ben-Ivgi's sentence was extended by five years after he went on a robbery spree, targeting two convenience stores while on a prison leave of absence. Following the robberies, the Israel Prison Service sought to remove Ben Ivgi's leave of absence rights, but the High Court ruled in favor of an appeal by the prisoner to retain the rights. In 2004, Ben-Ivgi used another leave from prison to escape to Argentina, where he made contact with other Israeli criminals on the run. A few months later, Ben-Ivgi was arrested by Argentinian police at an address in a suburb of Buenos Aires for drug offenses. Israel began extradition proceedings against Ben-Ivgi, although no extradition agreement between the two countries exists. In 2007, Argentina authorities released Ben-Ivgi on bail, since according to Argentinian law, an individual cannot be held criminally responsible for crimes they committed as minors. Since then, the State Prosecution's international department and the Israel Police have attempted to have Ben-Ivgi extradited back to Israel on murder and grand larceny charges. Ben-Ivgi was ordered to present himself at an Argentinian police station once every 20 days while an Argentinian court proceeded with the extradition request. In recent weeks, the court was going through the final stages of Ben-Ivgi's appeal against the extradition, but he suddenly disappeared and is believed to have fled Argentina in recent days. Argentinian police officers who came to Ben-Ivgi's home found that he had escaped. According to a report in Maariv, authorities in Israel knew about Ben-Ivgi's disappearance before the public had learned of it, but had kept the development a secret, failing even to inform Derek Roth's family. News of Ben-Ivgi's disappearance only reached media outlets after a statement was released by an attorney for Roth's family. The family has vowed to continue efforts to track Ben-Ivgi and return him to prison.