Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., April 14, 2008 Nisan 9, 5768 | | Israel Time: 21:16 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Kiryat Shmona Mayor Haim Barbivai. (Ancho Gosh) Last update - 21:12 14/04/2008 Kiryat Shmona mayor convicted of series of bribery, fraud charges By Eli Ashkenazi, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: corruption, Haim Barbivai  A Nazareth District Court on Monday convicted the Mayor of Kiryat Shmona Haim Barbivai with a series of offenses, including taking bribes, forgery, fraud, and breach of trust. Barbivai was convicted of 13 out of 24 charges brought against him, which stemmed from a period of time when he took campaign contributions from building contractors during mayoral elections in 2003. While Barbivai was soliciting the assistance of local business leaders, he was also serving as the head of the local planning and building committee, which gave him the ability to reward contractors and developers who had contributed to his campaign. Advertisement Barbivai's attorney announced his client will appeal the convictions. Barbivai served as mayor of the northern town since 1997. In 2003, elections for the mayoral post went to a runoff, and Barbivai's campaign found itself wracked with debts. According to the indictment, Barbivai turned to local businessmen to help him cover his debts, under the auspices of soliciting "campaign contributions." A group of 5 different local business leaders then reportedly contributed between NIS 10,000 - 20,000. In four of the instances, the donations were funneled through corporations which are not legally allowed to make political contributions. Barbivai reportedly used the contributions to pay off debts his campaign ran up at two local printing houses. Barbivai's office issued a statement Monday saying that the mayor was not involved in any financial decision making during the elections in 2003 and vowed that he would prove his innocence in court Bookmark to del.icio.us   Meeting Carter Noam Shalit: The fact that Carter isn't pro-Israel may be beneficial. Family pressure Shin Bet admits using relatives to pressure jailed Palestinians.

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