Suspension of Omri Sharon deferred
Knesset committee decides to postpone vote on whether to suspend Omri Sharon from Knesset until court sentences him for illegal fundrasing
Sharon pleaded guilty to charges of illegal fundrasing for his father’s 1999 primaries campaign for Likud leadership.
Ten committee members voted in
favor of adjourning a decision on whether to expel Sharon, as opposed to 2 against.
“The committee will address the issue soon after MK Omri Sharon is sentenced in the court of justice,” the decision read.
'Parliamentary action is a vindictive political attack'
Omri Sharon was convicted following his guilty plea in mid-October. He was ordered to appear in court at a later date to be sentenced.
“In court I immediately pleaded guilty, and took responsibility for my actions, because I believe the law should be respected, even if in my opinion and in the opinion of many others, the
law is unrealistic and no one can abide by it,” Sharon told members of the committee.
Sharon hinted that the decision of the committee to convene and vote on whether to suspend him from the Knesset is politically motivated and aims at torpedoing his chances for reelection in the upcoming general elections slated for March 28.
Sources in Kadima, the prime minister’s new party, said that the parliamentary action against Omri Sharon is a vindictive political attack initiated by MKs Reshef Chayne (Shinui) and Arieh Eldad (National Religious Party).
Likud officials accused former party member Ronnie Bar-On, who defected to Kadima, of assisting Omri Sharon in evading suspension from the Knesset in the wake of his legal battle.
