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Photo: Ido Erez
Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman
Photo: Ido Erez

Lieberman claims threats made by police in graft probe

Foreign Minister slams conduct of police in investigation into Yisrael Beiteinu corruption scandal, says one suspect was driven to attempt suicide.

Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman slammed on Saturday the police in its handling of an investigation into the Yisrael Beiteinu corruption scandal, saying that one individual under investigation was driven to attempt suicide.

 

 

Last week, Lieberman said that the investigation carried out by the police was an attempt to harm the party in the upcoming elections.

 

"This is a well planned and well timed move, the investigation fits perfectly with the election's schedule," Lieberman said, demanding an explanation from State Prosecutor Shay Nitzan. Lieberman made the comments at the beginning of the government's weekly meeting.

 

Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman (Photo: Ido Erez) (Photo: Ido Erez)
Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman (Photo: Ido Erez)

 

Speaking at a cultural event on Saturday, Lieberman expanded on the issue, saying that the police had made threats against the suspects: "Lawyers for two suspects explained that attempts to place suspects under a witness protection program were carried out using extortion and threats. One person who was investigated, and was not suspected of any crime, had been under investigation in order to put pressure on others, and had attempted to commit suicide."

 

The foreign minister continued his criticism, saying: "I know that in civilized countries, an individual is innocent until proven guilty. In this case, people have yet to be convicted, but the media has already convicted everyone, using biased and malicious leaks of information through close collaboration between investigators and journalists."

 

The foreign minister also sharply criticized Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein over a letter the legal counsel sent to Faina Kirschenbaum, deputy to the interior minister and the general secretary of Yisrael Beiteinu, who is suspected of accepting funds, and is at the heart of the scandal.

 

Lieberman and Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein (Photos: Motti Kimchi, AFP) (Photo: Motti Kimchi, AFP)
Lieberman and Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein (Photos: Motti Kimchi, AFP)

 

In the letter, Weinstein instructed Kirschenbaum to refrain from going to work in her ministry while the investigation was underway. Lieberman stated, in response, that the party's general secretary "had not stepped foot, even once, in the ministry's office."

 

On Tuesday, Kirschenbaum attended a meeting of the Yisrael Beiteinu Knesset faction. According to reports, Weinstein sent the letter on the following day.

 

Lieberman said: "Weinstein wrote a letter in which he warns and reprimands Kirschenbaum, saying that every visit of hers constituted an obstruction of justice. His letter was intended for the media, in an attempt to counteract the effect of the party's meeting held a day earlier. This is a regular pattern of behavior carried out by all parties involved in the investigation."

 

Lieberman said that he had faith in the judicial system in Israel. "There are judges in Jerusalem, and it is the right and obligation of the police to investigate every suspicion…those found of wrongdoing must pay the price, but what I find to be ill-suited is that this is the sixth time in a row since the beginning of elections campaigns that a new case was opened involving myself or Yisrael Beiteinu."

 

Yisrael Beiteinu is at the center of a massive corruption scandal involving 30 serving and former public officials.

 

At the heart of the investigation is Yisrael Beiteinu's Faina Kirschenbaum, Israel's deputy interior minister. The party was quick to back her, saying "like every election since Yisrael Beiteinu was established in 1999, the police cannot pass up on conducting highly-publicized arrests and investigations into the party's people."

 

Yisrael Beiteinu's Faina Kirschenbaum (Photo: Ido Erez) (Photo: Ido Erez)
Yisrael Beiteinu's Faina Kirschenbaum (Photo: Ido Erez)

 

Kirschenbaum is a high-profile member of Yisrael Beiteinu and a close associate of Lieberman. The bulk of the party's activities go through her, and she is involved in all its parliamentary and political moves.

 

Former minister of tourism Stas Misezhnikov is also suspected of accepting bribes, facilitating bribes, and cronyism.

 

David Godovsky, Yisrael Beiteinu's chief of staff, is suspected of bribery, facilitating bribes, conspiracy to commit a crime, fraudulently obtaining benefits under aggravated circumstances, and other charges.

 

Godovsky was treasurer of a foundation that aided new immigrants when Lieberman, who chaired the foundation, was investigated in 1997 for allegedly borrowing NIS 111,155 from its coffers, most of which he did not return. The police then raided Godovsky's house, but most of the foundation's financial documents were not found.

 

The party, which has seen a number of high-profile investigations, including one into chairman Avigdor Lieberman, said that "if the investigation had been made public before the announcement of elections, then one could still think it had substance, but the fact that this was done, again, during an election campaign indicates ulterior motives. Like in previous cases, nothing will come of it."

 

Omri Ephraim, Raanan Ben-Zur, Eli Senyor, Gilad Moreg, Michal Margalit, Ahiya Raved, Moran Azulay, Ilana Koriel, and Noam (Dabul) Dvir contributed to this report.

 


פרסום ראשון: 01.03.15, 15:08
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