Last update - 00:00 12/04/2007
High Court: Hirchson can make decisions on police budget despite probe
By Jonathan Lis, Haaretz Correspondent
The High Court of Justice ruled Thursday that Finance Minister Abraham Hirchson can continue to make budgetary decisions, including regarding the budget for police and its investigations division, despite the ongoing criminal investigation against him.
High Court Justice Esther Hayut rejected the petition submitted by the Movement for Quality Government and the Legal Forum for the Land of Israel, which had asked the court to issue an injunction preventing Hircshon from dealing with these issues.
The organizations also asked the court to temporarily remove Hirchson from office due to the embezzlement and fraud investigation. Hayut also decided to give Attorney General Menachem Mazuz additional time to prepare his response to the petition, allowing him to present the response on April 26 instead of next week.
Police officials said Thursday thatHirchson would still be suspected of both embezzlement and fraud, even if the source of funds he said were deposited into his account by his sister-in-law is verified.
Police, who have not yet accepted Hirchson's version of events as true, say Hirchson is also under suspicion over the source of funds deposited to various other accounts.
The Police Financial Crimes Investigation Unit on Thursday questioned Hirchson for the fourth time for alleged embezzlement and fraud during his tenure as chairman of the National Workers' Organization. Officials assess that Hirchson will be summoned for further questioning in the near future.
According to police, Hirchson's version does not explain all the suspicious transactions made to his bank accounts.
In the previous round of questioning before Passover, Hirchson told police that the deposits into his account were made by his sister-in-law who lives in Italy, and his son, Ofer (even though the latter was in debt at the time).
Haaretz has learned that police officials already questioned the sister-in-law a month ago, before Hirchson even mentioned her during questioning. Police say that the funds that Hirchson says he received from his sister-in-law, which total $600,000, do not explain all the transactions that were made to his various bank accounts.
The money transfers are only one piece of evidence against Hirchson. In previous questionings, Hirchson was confronted with testimonies of other embezzlement suspects who had told police that funds had been transferred to Hirchson's account.
Hirchson continued to deny any involvement in the affair and told investigators that he never handled management of association funds.