Illustration
Photo: Ata Awisat
Suspicion: Minister, ex-minister linked to bribe case
Names of cabinet minister and former minister come up as police probe bribery case in Haifa Rabbinical Court. Main suspect is kashrut supervisor who apparently received bribes in return for advancing clients cases
A police investigation this week into a bribery affair at the Haifa Rabbinical Court raised the names of a cabinet minister and a former minister – whose identities have not been released for publication.
In the frame of the probe, one of the court secretaries and a kashrut supervisor were arrested.
The northern branch of the National Fraud Unit is leading the inquiry. The kashrut supervisor is suspected of offering to advance clients’ portfolios at the rabbinical court in exchange for bribes and transferring a portion of the sum to the secretary, who apparently advanced the portfolios.
The suspects’ lawyers, Tammy Olman and Nitza Cohen, are arguing the claims are false because rabbinical court regulations preclude the advancement of portfolios.
A Ynet investigation following the court deliberation discovered that the names of a cabinet minister and former minister came up in regards to the case.
The two are not central suspects in the case but are rather in the “margins”. Likewise, neither has yet given testimony nor been questioned. Police noted in response that they do not reveal details of investigations to the media.
Efrat Weiss contributed to the report
