Following the announcement linking Israel Police Yahav 433 Commander Menashe Arbiv to the bribery money laundering investigation against Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto, Public Security Minister Yitzchak Aharonovich released the following statement on Tu B’Shevat 5774.

Aharonovich stated that he will not permit the allegations made by attorneys for Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto cloud the facts in the case, calling on Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein to move ahead with a “serious criminal indictment” against Rav Pinto. Aharonovich was critical of Pinto’s attorneys for releasing information about the possible involvement of Police Commander Arbiv in the case. He feels the legal team is seeking to divert attention away from the primary suspect, Rabbi Pinto, calling on the attorney general to move ahead with an indictment immediately.

The Pinto case has rocked Israel Police for its points to involvement of a number of senior officers. Investigations are reportedly ongoing with the knowledge that a number of senior police commanders, public officials, politicians and notables frequented the rav’s home as they wished to receive his advice and brachos. Some of the people on this list include Police Brigadier-General Ephraim Baruch, Arbiv, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and former Justice Minister Prof. Yaakov Ne’eman.

The Justice Ministry has released a statement that an investigation was conducted against Bracha, and he was cleared of wrongdoing. Bracha told his superiors that Pinto offered him a large bribe in exchange for information pertaining to the investigations against him, including an FBI probe in the USA. Bracha wore a wire and documented subsequent conversations with Rabbi Pinto.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)