Senior Israel Police investigators announce the department will recommend filing criminal indictments against a number of suspects in the major government corruption investigation that is being handled by the 433 Unit, the equivalent to Israel’s FBI. These suspects are affiliated with the Yisrael Beitenu party, including a former cabinet minister and a former deputy cabinet minister.

The case, referred to as investigation “242” involved dozens of suspects, including high-ranking civil servants and former cabinet officials. Police are signaling indictments are likely against former Yisrael Beitenu Minister of Tourism Stav Misezhnikov and former Yisrael Beitenu Deputy Interior Minister Fanny Kirschenbaum. Kirschenbaum is allegedly involved in 15 cases involved in the investigation and will likely face a serious multi-count criminal indictment. Both are accused to allocating funding in exchange for kickbacks and receiving favors. In some cases, funds were allegedly allocated illegally, to bodies that were not entitled to receive funding from the ministries in question.

Speaking at a Beersheva Shabbos cultural event, Police Chief Yochanan Danino told his audience there are six state witnesses in the case. Danino once again rejected allegations leveled against him and the department by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, that the investigation went public during elections to deliver a fatal blow to Lieberman’s Yisrael Beitenu party. The party, which had 13 seats in the last (19th) Knesset currently has 6 seats in the 20th Knesset.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)