Former Shas MK sent to jail for 3 years
Ofer Hugi appeals Supreme Court after being convicted of fraud; judges decide to aggravate his sentence, order him to pay fine of NIS 200,000 in addition to prison term
Judges Yoram Danziger, Salim Joubran and Eliezer Rivlin discussed two appeals simultaneously. Hugi appealed the conviction and the sentence, while the State asked that the sentence be aggravated.
The court decided to accept the State's claims and increase the sentence from two to three years behind bars, and to raise the fine Hugi was required to pay from NIS 12,000 (about $3,054) to NIS 200,000 ($50,900).
The former MK's lawyer, Rina Levy, said after the hearing, "This result is extremely harsh, and Hugi himself was surprised. The aggravation in regards to the fine is puzzling, as the prosecution never claimed that he took the money to his pocket."
Attorney Elad Persky of the State Prosecutor's Office told Ynet, "The court's decision expressed the proper attitude towards such actions, and we hope it will serve as a deterrent."
Hugi was sentenced by the Jerusalem Magistrates Court for offenses committed in the years 1997-1999.
According to his verdict, which was delivered some two months ago, during his term as MK Hugi forged student attendance lists in order to increase the transportation budget for Shas' school chain.
Using this method he defrauded the Education Minister of NIS 2 million (about $470,000).
Hugi was also convicted of attempting to receive funding from government ministries for a technological college that does not exist.
The ruling stated that, "Based on the false documents provided by the defendant, the ministry channeled during the school year of 1999 a sum of NIS 1 million (about $240,000) to the foundations for the technological college."
