The remand hearing in the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court was still ongoing at 7:00pm, Sunday, January 15, 2012. The court has already ordered R’ Shmulik Lubitzky held behind bars for an additional four days. According to the limited information available, Lubitzky is viewed as the mastermind in the alleged tax evasion money laundering scam that was operating via the Eida’s Vaad Artzi tzedaka office on Rappaport Street in the Beit Yisrael neighborhood of Yerushalayim.
The state told the court that in addition to the other charges, funds given to the charity were channeled back and forth between Israel and the United States as they skillfully evaded tax authorities. Lubitzky is also alleged to have used money from the vaad to fund kollelim affiliated with the sikrikim faction, paying monthly stipends to some of the leaders of the sikrikim, who have been on police radar during recent months as well.
An atzeres was being held in Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet Sunday night, and police in RBS-B and Yerushalayim are bracing for a night of protests as Eida rabbonim await the court’s decision regarding the state’s request to remand the other suspects in the case as well.
It appears that tax authorities have been working for over a year, using wiretaps and other means to build the case against the Eida-affiliated tzedaka. State officials are releasing statement that the case is solid, based on months of careful planning and evidence gathering, pointing to a well run sophisticated tax evasion scheme that involves many players.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
5 Responses
Pieces match up. Last week the Eida came out supporting the Sikrikim. Now we hear theyare also financially supporting them.
Maybe the people inMeah Shearim are finally fed up. The morning demonstration had few people. They then tried an afternoon one, (I guess they hoped that by then the leidigeirs would be out of bed) and got a few hundred, still not a lot by Meah SHearim standards. So now they call for a third one in hope of maybe drumming a few more or maybe getting a chance to hire some extras.
I never believed the Eida has nothing to do with the Sikrikim.
Just confirmed, Rav Amrom Shapiro (gabbai of gava”d Edah)who was arrested this morning was released without bail or restrictions, the judge lashed out at the prosecuters for arresting a person on no basis or evidence!
Nabach. They are trying to made up a story on no basis as a payback for the frum jews. But what a joke the all story is. The lawyer said it no evidence case. The funny thing is. How all self hating jews are jumping and happy that a jew was arrested. I’m not saying that a yid have to be on the street like they are. But every yid as a rite to do what he wants. The same the chilony can do in tal aviv all pritzos with no problem. The yiden in Jerusalem have a rite to live there frum life as they choose
#3 Why so unusual?
so called “price tag” individuals are held for days without rhyme or reason and then release without an apology a week later. Or the male family members that are not allowed home to Yehuda/Shomron since they suspect them of something….. Y should this case be any different?