Some would opine the following sounds like the beginning of a joke – a former president, district court justice and senior banker meet the parole board.

Well, in this case, it is not a joke and on Thursday, 29 Tammuz, a parole board will announce its decision pertaining to all three mentioned above.

The first of the three imprisoned notables who will meet with the parole board is Etti Alon, who was convicted of stealing NIS 250 million from bank clients to pay her brother’s debts as well as embezzlement which led to the collapse of a financial institution. She will be released after serving 15 years in prison after the parole board removes two years from her sentence. The prosecution has already announced it will not object.

Next in line will be former President Moshe Katsav, who was sentenced to seven years in prison for attacking women. He has already served 4.5 years and expects the parole board to approve his early release for good behavior. The parole board has already met and is expected to announce its decision on Thursday. Mr. Katsav was turned down in the past and is now trying again in the hope he will be released. This second appeal follows a modification of the law permitting one to be paroled even if one does not express remorse, which is the case here since the former president continues to maintain his innocence.

And last of the three is former District Court Justice Dan Cohen, 74, who served on the Israel Electric Company Board of Directors and was convicted of accepting bribes from the German-based Siemens Company. He signed a plea bargain agreement in 2013 and has requested wiping a third from his sentence. He is serving his sentence in ward 2 in Massiyahu Prison, which is designated for elderly prisoners.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)