Last update - 00:00 25/02/2007
Minister Edrey questioned on bid to receive personal favors
By Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondent
Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Ya'akov Edrey (Kadima) was questioned under caution on Sunday on suspicion of attempting to obtain personal benefits during his tenure as deputy interior minister.
According to the suspicions, a rabbinical court clerk in Haifa offered to grant Likud members letters of blessing and give Edrey, then a Likud member, a car to use on the day of the Likud primaries, in exchange for which Edrey would ensure the promotion of former Jezreel Valley District Police commander Deputy Commissioner Ya'akov Zigdon.
Edrey apparently rejected the offer. The deputy minister has no direct influence on police appointments.
The suspicions against Edrey, who also serves as a liaison between the cabinet and the Knesset, emerged on Sunday while he was giving a testimony on irregular police and Haifa Rabbinical Court appointments.
Edrey was summoned Sunday to testify regarding a case underway for months in the National Fraud Investigation Unit regarding alleged fraud and the irregular appointments.
During questioning, suspicions arose against senior police officials, including Zigdon, who was forced to resign because of the probe.
Zigdon is suspected of inappropriate relations with political sources and of promoting candidates due to outside pressure. Edrey was summoned for questioning a week ago on the suspicions against Zigdon.
Fraud investigators arrived Sunday afternoon to the MK's Knesset office to collect the testimony. In the course of the investigation, it became apparent that Edrey's was incriminating himself in his testimony, and that he tried to receive bribes while deputy minister of the interior.
Edrey was questioned for several hours. Police said the minister cooperated with investigators and gave his version of events.
Edrey's office issued a statement in response: "Roughly one week ago police approached Minister Ya'acov Edrey, and asked him to give testimony on the Zigdon affair and Haifa rabbinical courts. The testimony was given in the minister's Knesset office, during which Minister Edrey answered all of the investigators' questions. Minister Edrey's hands are clean and he categorically rejects any apparent suspicions against him."
Earlier Sunday, Edrey was appointed as the minister responsible for the State of Israel's 60th Independence Day festivities.