Heftsiba CEO 'regrets his actions'

Boaz Yona's lawyer meets with him at Italian jail ahead of court hearing on extradition to Israel. 'He is depressed and misses his wife and children,' Attorney Yair Golan tells Ynet

Efrat Weiss

Published: 09.03.07, 19:19 / Israel Business

"I believe it will take some time until Boaz Yona arrives in Israel. He wants to return, but there are things that depend on the legal proceedings," the lawyer of the fugitive CEO of Heftsiba told Ynet on Monday evening.

Yona was captured Thursday evening in the Italian city of Verona following a complicated international operation. His remand was extended and he was transferred to Venice. Israel has already filed an extradition request to the Italian Justice Ministry, as the two countries have an extradition agreement.

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Attorney Yair Golan met with Yona for the first time following his arrest at the Italian jail and spoke to him for several hours. Golan told Ynet that "Yona was in a relatively reasonable mood for the conditions he is in.

"There is no doubt that he is depressed and that he looks confused by the situation he has gotten himself into for the first time in his life. Boaz is being held in an isolated cell and is receiving medical treatment and being closely supervised by the prison clinic."

Yona has had no contact with his wife Tamar and his children. Attorney Golan noted that the Italian authorities did not let the fugitive CEO contact them.

According to the lawyer, "Yona misses them, as they are the only source of support he has left."

As for the suspicions raised against Yona over his involvement in the collapse of the Heftsiba construction company, Golan said that the CEO had expressed his desire to return to Israel, but is afraid of people in the grey market from whom he had borrowed large sums of money. He also fears for his wellbeing and the wellbeing of his family.

"Yona expressed his deep sorrow, regret and pain over the damage caused to those people (the apartment buyers). Boaz claims that he carried out a series of actions in order to raise funds and try and help the company he owns overcome its economic situation, wishing to rehabilitate it.

"Boaz said that had he not raised funds by the time the company collapsed, additional families would have been in a similar situation," he added.

An Italian court is expected to hold a hearing Tuesday on Yona's temporary arrest warrant.

According to Attorney Golan, "The judge will arrive at the prison and hold a short hearing, in which a prosecutor and a defense attorney will be present, over the legality of the international arrest warrant. He will reexamine the extradition issue and the cooperation between Italy and Israel over the matter."

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