JERUSALEM, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Former Israeli judge who fled to Peru after allegedly receiving bribes landed in Israel overnight Saturday after Peruvian authorities decided to extradite him, the Israeli Justice Ministry confirmed to Xinhua on Sunday.
Cohen, a former District Court judge, later served as a member of directorate of the Israeli Electricity Corporation, where he is suspected of receiving 2.8 million U.S. dollars in bribes by Siemens to prefer its turbines.
After allegations started to surface against him, Cohen left Israel in 2005 and headed toward Peru, with which Israel does not sustain an extradition agreement.
Israeli authorities indicted Cohen in absentia in 2009, which also suggested that Cohen's conduct was flawed with other companies as well.
Following the Israeli indictment, a local Peruvian court decided that Cohen should be turned over to Israel. However, former Peruvian president ignored the decision. Now the new government decided to follow through the court's decree and Cohen was put on a flight on Saturday back to Tel Aviv.
Earlier this month, Israeli media reported that the Israeli State Prosecutor's Office reached a deal with Cohen, according to which he would admit to his wrongdoing and serve a four-year jail term.
After landing, Cohen was taken into custody by Israeli police and transferred to a detention facility. He will be indicted for obstruction of justice as well as the bribery charges and it remains unclear whether the agreement with the State's Attorney's Office will remain intact.
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