Ashkenazi. Coffee break at his office
Photo: Yaron Brener
Details of army chief's card case revealed
Indictment filed at Tel Aviv District Court Thursday reveals soldier who stole pistol from army chief's office walked into room to make himself coffee. Soldier's brother, Qalansawe man charged with arms trafficking, aggravated assault
The soldier who stole Chief of Staff Lit.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi's credit card had found the card after entering the army chief's office to make himself coffee, the indictment filed against the soldier's younger brother and another man from Qalansawe at the Tel Aviv District Court Thursday revealed.
According to the indictment the soldier and 20-year-old Rakhez Shalabiyeh from Qalansawe had worked together at a butcher shop in Raanana. Both of them became acquainted with a young man named Khamoudi Majadale.
After the soldier enlisted in the army, Majadele has, on several occasions, tried to persuade him to steal weapons and ammunition from the army and sell them to him.
In June Majadele, the soldier and his brother conspired to steal arms from the military, but the plan eventually failed. For this, Majadele and the brother were indicted for conspiring to commit aggravated robbery and attempted robbery to which aggravated circumstances apply.
In reference to the pistol stolen from Ashkenazi's office, the indictment stated that Shalabiyeh offered to pay the soldier NIS 4,000 (roughly $1,000) for the gun. Several days after the soldier stole the gun and transferred it to Shalabiyeh, the latter asked to return the weapon and demanded his money back after learning the pistol did not work.
For this Shalabiyeh was indicted for conspiracy to traffic in arms and attempted arms trafficking.
Another count of the indictment accuses Shalabiyeh and the soldier's brother of conspiracy to traffic in arms, army trafficking and carrying a weapon, after in July this year the soldier told his brother that he owed Shalabiyeh NIS 4,000 the two decided to rob money from soldier at the IDF base in Tel Aviv in order to cover the debt.
They broke into the base wearing stocking caps, attacked one of the soldiers who was guarding the facility rendering him unconscious, stole his personal weapon and later sold it to Shalabiyeh.
On that count the two are also charged with aggravated assault and battery.
