Suspected sex-pest rabbi to remain in prison

A Joburg high court judge ruled that alleged sex-pest Rabbi Eliezer Berland would not be released from jail on bail-like conditions.

Johannesburg - Alleged sex-pest Rabbi Eliezer Berland will not be released from jail on bail-like conditions, Judge Fayeeza Kathree-Setiloane ruled on Thursday.

This follows an urgent application launched in the high court in Joburg last week in a bid to get the fugitive released from prison while awaiting a review on his extradition to Israel.

On June 3, Justice Minister Michael Masutha signed an extradition order for Berland.

But last week, Berland’s defence, advocate Anton Katz, described as irregular proceedings at Berland’s extradition inquiry in April, resulting in Masutha signing the order.

Katz also said Berland’s detention in Joburg’s “Sun City” prison was unlawful. In April, Berland was denied bail by magistrate Pravina Raghunandan, and according to Katz, was then imprisoned, which was not the correct procedure for an extradition case.

“Once he was found to be liable for extradition and with enough evidence against him to be prosecuted in Israel, the committal order (to prison) should have been made based on those rulings.

“Following this, a bail application should have been brought, but instead the committal was made based only on the bail-hearing evidence and no other basis,” Katz previously said.

On Thursday, Judge Kathree-Setiloane disputed this, saying that after looking closely at the laws regarding extradition enquiries, “nothing prevented the magistrate from making the committal order later”, following the bail hearing.

“Although she didn’t follow the sequence, it doesn’t impair the legal validity of the committal order.”

On Thursday night , it was unclear if a review would take place or when Berland will be extradited.

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The Star