Yaniv Mualem, convicted of tax offenses worth hundreds of millions of shekels, was extradited from Panama to Israel on Sunday, according to i24NEWS.
Yaniv Mualem, the Israeli tax criminal convicted of a massive fuel fraud scheme, was extradited from Panama to Israel on Sunday, i24NEWS reported, confirming earlier reports from Channel 12. The extradition ends a nearly two-and-a-half-year international manhunt after Mualem fled during his trial.
At 10:35 Jerusalem on Sunday, Channel 12 first reported the extradition and conviction. Minutes later, The Zioneer published details of the conviction, including the 65 million shekel fraud network using shell companies to distribute fake tax invoices. The court ordered Mualem detained until the end of proceedings over flight-risk concerns.
As The Zioneer reported earlier, Mualem was convicted on two indictments for operating a sophisticated network of shell companies and straw men that distributed and offset hundreds of fake tax invoices in the fuel industry. The scheme also involved money laundering through currency service providers and cash withdrawals, causing a loss of approximately 65 million shekels to the state.
The specific timeline of the extradition and Mualem’s arrival in Israel have not yet been independently confirmed by Israeli authorities.
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