Court sentences former judge to 6 years in prison, NIS 10 m. fine

Tel Aviv District Court sends Dan Cohen away for charges of bribery, fraud, breach of trust and obstruction of justice.

By YONAH JEREMY BOB
Israeli former judge Dan Cohen is escorted by police 370 (photo credit: REUTERS)
Israeli former judge Dan Cohen is escorted by police 370
(photo credit: REUTERS)
The Tel Aviv District Court on Monday sentenced former district court judge Dan Cohen to six years in prison for his conviction on charges of bribery, fraud, breach of trust and obstruction of justice.
The conviction came as part of a plea bargain agreement announced on July 9.
Under the plea agreement, endorsed by the court, other punishments for Cohen included the seizure of NIS 4 million and he will have to pay an additional fine of NIS 6m.
The court ordered that funds that Cohen succeeded in preserving in Panama will also be used to satisfy the judgment.
Cohen was extradited from Peru in March. He was able to avoid extradition for more than seven years.
The former judge fled Israel in 2005 in the midst of an investigation into allegations that he illegally used his influence with the Israel Electric Corporation – where he served as a member of the directorate from 1991- 2001, and as chairman starting in 1993 – to aid several corporations.
He allegedly received millions of dollars worth of bribes from corporations Siemens and Rogozin in exchange for preferential treatment from the Israel Electric Corporation.
Cohen was a judge from 1978 to 1981, when he was dismissed from the judiciary for ethical violations.
Israel began to ask for his extradition as early as 2009, and undertook significant activities toward that goal, including providing Peru with a copy of the indictment and other legal materials and proofs.
Peru, which does not have an extradition agreement with Israel, had continuously denied requests to extradite the former judge.
Israel litigated in a number of Peruvian courts before reaching its Supreme Court, which ordered that Cohen be extradited.
Even then, Peru’s government blocked the court’s extradition order until, according to media reports, a crime wave put pressure on Peru’s government to show that it is tough on crime, especially on foreign criminals.