Sharon's son heads to jail as court nixes corruption appeal - Haaretz

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Thu., January 31, 2008 Shvat 24, 5768

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		Omri Sharon in court last year. (AP)

Last update - 19:26 28/01/2008

Sharon's son heads to jail as court nixes corruption appeal

By Haaretz Service and News Agencies

Tags: Israel, Omri Sharon

The High Court of Justice on Monday cleared the way for the son of former prime minister Ariel Sharon to go to jail next month to begin serving a seven-month sentence on corruption charges.

Former Likud MK Omri Sharon, 43, was convicted of a series of charges related to his father's 1999 primaries campaign, including fictitious registration of corporate documents, lying under oath and violations of the election code.

The former MK oversaw some fundraising activities and the campaign that resulted in his father's victory in the that year's Likud Party primary.

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Prosecutors claimed he received more than $1.3 million from groups in Israel and overseas for his father's campaign, amounts that far exceeded the legal ceiling for contributions.

The former Knesset member, who was also fined NIS 300,000, will begin his custodial sentence on February 27.

Under a deal with prosecutors, Omri Sharon pleaded guilty to falsifying
corporate documents, perjury and violating party funding laws.

In exchange, the state dropped charges of fraud and breach of trust but demanded imprisonment on the other counts the maximum term was five years in prison.

Sharon was originally sentenced to nine months in prison, however the district court shortened his prison time to seven months.

The sentence was handed down just several weeks after Ariel Sharon fell into a coma following a debilitating stroke.

Sharon's lawyers pleaded with the court to consider the circumstances at the time of the offenses - his mother was dying from cancer, and he was a newcomer to politics who was unfamiliar with campaign finance laws.

On Monday, the High Court rejected his final appeal and upheld the sentence of seven months in prison, the court's spokeswoman, Ayelet Filo, said.

The justices said in their ruling that they did not find any reason to alter the previous rulings on the matter.

Legal expert Moshe Negbi said that while he sympathized with Sharon's personal plight, the ruling marked an important legal precedent.

"It is the first time the legal system sends a clear message that crimes
committed during a political campaign are severe, and a man needs to pay for them with his freedom," he told Israel Radio.

Also on Monday, Public Relations mogul Rani Rahav urged President Shimon Peres to pardon Sharon from his prison sentence.

Related articles:

Omri Sharon will not start jail time as planned, to appeal sentence

Omri Sharon gets nine months in prison and NIS 300,000 fine

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1.	Let him suffer in Prison	14:55	\|	David James Vickery	28/01/08

2.	Rotten tree, rotten fruit	18:26	\|	Clickfool	28/01/08

3.	Send the laweyrs and judges to jail	20:38	\|	Jebey Noyon	28/01/08

4.	Send the lawyers and judges to jail	20:40	\|	Jebey Noyon	28/01/08

5.	They should put dad in too	20:55	\|	David Teich	28/01/08

6.	sending the cannibals to jail as well...	21:33	\|	patrick hammel	28/01/08

7.	five `el get you ten..	21:45	\|	Zig zag	28/01/08

8.	O no, not Omri.	22:27	\|	Bass	28/01/08

9.	The diet in Jail want hurt him	01:12	\|	Alon	29/01/08

10.	LIKE FATHER LIKE SON TWO CRIMINALS	03:12	\|	LOCK UM UP	29/01/08

11.	Clickfool - Something rotten in England	00:01	\|	* BEN JABO	30/01/08

12.	#5 David Teich	00:03	\|	* BEN JABO	30/01/08

13.	12: Ben, wrong again	12:15	\|	David Teich	31/01/08

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