8 indictments expected in Tax Authority affair

The State Prosecutor's Office on Thursday informed eight suspects involved in the Tax Authority affair that they may be put on trial, subject to a hearing.

The offenses ascribed to the future defendants include fraud, breach of trust and bribery.

The main suspects in the affair are:

• Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s former bureau chief Shula Zaken, suspected of fraud and breach of trust.
• Former Tax Authority chief Jacky Matza, suspected of bribery and breach of trust.
• Tax Authority Human Resources Manager Shmuel Bobrov, suspected of taking a bribe and breach of trust.
• Tax Authority's Deputy Director for Professional Matters Gidi Bar Zakai, suspected of taking a bribe.
• Yigal Saar, the Tax Authority's representatives in the United States, suspected of taking a bribe and helping bribe other authority workers.
• Yossi Steimitz, the Customs' personal import manager, suspected of taking a bribe and breach of trust.
• Businessman Kobi Ben Gur, suspected of brining Matza and other authority employees.
• Zaken’s borther, Yoram Karashi, suspected of bribing Matza and other employees of the authority.

The affair began about a year and a half ago, when the police National Fraud Unit raided the homes of Shula Zaken, Tax Authority officials and other suspects.

According to the police, private businessmen Ben Gur and Karashi bribed high-ranking officials in the Tax Authority, including the authority heads, two assistant director-generals, and the authority's representative in the US.

Karashi is suspected of taking advantage of his close relations with the senior officials and with his sister in order to interfere with appointments in the Tax Authority. His sister, Shula Zaken, is suspected of mediating between the businesspeople, her associates and senior Tax Authority officials.