Veteran Shas Party MK and former cabinet minister Shlomo Benizri was convicted on bribery and breach of trust charges on Tuesday.
The investigation began some two years ago, dating back to the period between 1996-2001, when Benizri served as deputy health minister and minister of labor & social affairs.
Benizri, together with senior Shas-affiliated businessman Rabbi Shlomo Elbaz, were found guilty in the multi-count indictment. Interestingly, some time ago, Benizri, confident he would be acquitted, did tell the media that if he is convicted, he would resign from Knesset, his professional home since 1992. He did not release a statement to the press following Tuesday’s guilty verdict.
The two were convicted of accepting payoffs and favors from contractor Moshe Sela, who at the time headed a company bringing foreign workers into Israel. Benizri assisted Sela, connecting him with lucrative contracts, opening doors for his foreigners as well as leaking confidential information to him towards building his business.
In return, Sela made payments to Elbaz and the Or HaChayim Yeshiva network – all with Benizri’s knowledge, who was aware the chain of events would only place him in a better light in his party.
After the police moved ahead with the investigation, they offered Sela a deal, prompting him to become the star witness for the prosecution, leading to the information that in 2001, Elbaz received $1 million in checks, but most was not deposited in the yeshiva’s account, fearing it would signal foul play. As such, the checks were returned and Sela then gave Elbaz $190,000 in cash. It was also stated that Elbaz used funds to buy an apartment near Benizri, as well as to overhaul it and purchase furniture and other goods.
As the relationship continued, Sela gave additional funds for assistance in obtaining lucrative contracts for employing his foreign workers, with the prosecution stating he gave the two $400,000 and NIS 180,000.
Benizri also made political appointments in contradiction to civil service law, including hiring Sela’s wife Edna as his bureau chief during his tenure as health minister.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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2 Responses
Almost everyone in the Knesset uses his/her position to advance himself financially. The Police keep a record of all these shenanigans.
This record is used to blackmail any politician who doesn’t toe the leftist line.
It’s straight out of the playbook from Communist Russia.
Benizri has always been a good guy–on Toeva issues and on helping settlers.
He probably is pushing SHAS to force Olmert to cancel the division of Jerusalem.
So, they finally decided to take him out.
REMEMBER, NISSIM ZEEV, ALSO OF SHAS, WAS ALMOST MURDERED IN THE KNESSET (VIA POISON IN HIS CUP OF TEA)…
–AND SHAS MINISTERS ELI YISHAI, NISSIM ZEEV AND OTHERS WERE ALMOST KILLED IN AN ELEVATOR “ACCIDENT” IN TEL AVIV.
DO YOU SEE A PATTERN HERE–I DO!
Although it may be technically not assur to publish such an article, but shouldn’t it at least be b’geder ha’shomer nafsho yirchak mi’zeh?