Israel authorities announced today they would extradite Joseph Joanivici, sought by French police on charges of fraudulent operations in France, if the French asked for such action.
Joanivici, who arrived in Israel last October under a false name with a Moroccan passport, was arrested when first reports arrived of his alleged fraudulent operations. He was released on bail and has since been reportedly hiding somewhere in Haifa. His relatives have refused to give reporters any information about his whereabouts.
He was accused of having set up a series of scrap iron firms and of selling and reselling scrap iron between the firms to obtain a special French bonus for exporting goods.
The French Embassy in Jerusalem announced late today that it had been instructed by Paris to demand the extradition of Joanivici. The Embassy is expected to file its formal request with the Israel Foreign Office tomorrow under the terms of an extradition treaty between France and the former Mandatory Government.
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