MK Slomiansky denies voter fraud allegations

Habayit Hayehudi Knesset member denies any wrongdoing in regards to primaries. Party source says story politically motivated, says Naftali Bennett behind rumors

Tzvika Brot|Published: 02.26.13 , 10:30

Habayit Hayehudi Knesset Member Nissan Slomiansky, who was implicated in corruption allegations pertaining to the party's primaries, denied any wrongdoing Tuesday and called the allegations "ridiculous."

The allegations surfaced on Monday, when recordings of a "ballot-lobbyist" detailing the alleged bribery and describing how "bags of money and cigarettes packets filled with cash" were used to pay registrants, surfaced.

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"It's all completely ridiculous," Slominski told Ynet on Monday night. "There isn't a true word in it. Even the man himself retracted his statements. These recordings were rejected by the media due to lack of credibility."

Habayit Hayehudi faction meeting

"It's strange that now, when the coalition is about to be formed, someone has 'discovered' this," he added.

Slomiansky, who returned to the House three weeks ago after spending the last term out of the Knesset, said that he does not know whether his political rivals are behind the affair.

"It was predictable, because of the government negotiations," he said. "I wasn't questioned and I was never taken for an interrogation. I was a council head for 21 years and an MK for nine. I was always as clean as a whistle.

"Everyone in the party knew that I have a strong connection with the public and that I'm expected to win the first place in the party elections."

Indeed, before the primaries party members estimated that he will be positioned higher than his current third place in the party list.

Party sources criticized Chairman Naftali Bennett, after he hired a private investigator against the party members.

According to a party official, "If Bennett wanted to expose corruption it's strange that he didn't discuss it until now and didn't reveal these materials. Why did he wait until after the elections? So that the press will do the job for him? Maybe his aim was political, nothing more."

Bennett's associates rejected the allegations: "During the primaries suspicions arose regarding ballot fraud. After an examination registrants' forms were disqualified. The material was given to the police prior to the primaries."

A Habayit Hayehudi formal statement on the matter said that "We have every faith in the police and hope they will quickly reach an outcome in the case. We hope it will amount to nothing."