Abbas suspends PA aide embroiled in sex tape scandal
Rafik Husseini removed from post after being taped soliciting sex in exchange for political favor.
By Haaretz Service and The Associated Press Tags: Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas Israel newsPalestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday suspended his bureau chief Rafik Husseini over his involvement in a corruption scandal that included video footage of him trying to trade his influence for sex, Israel Radio reported.
Husseini's suspension will last until a committee established to probe the matter submits its findings on the allegations in about three weeks.
Channel 10 news aired an expose last week that alleges widespread corruption among Palestinian Authority officials, dating back to the time of former PA chairman Yasser Arafat.
Even though the Palestinian Authority has won international praise for cleaning up official corruption that was rampant under the Arafat, Abbas' Fatah movement continues to be dogged by the perception that some of its leading officials pursue personal gain and pleasure over the national good.
Husseini has not appeared in public since the video was broadcast by Channel 10 in a report that also included allegations of high-level financial wrongdoing.
The erudite, British-educated Husseini, who has often served as the point man for explaining the Palestinian cause to foreign audiences, was expected to appear on a current affairs program on Palestine TV on Friday evening, according to the station.
But Husseini did not show. Instead, the host read a statement from him, in which Husseini said he was the victim of a conspiracy by Israelis and some Palestinians to discredit him and the Palestinian president. He said he would respond at a later time.
"I promise the viewers to reveal the complete truth, and I am ready for accountability if it was proven that I did something wrong," said the Husseini statement read on the air.
Palestinian officials also claimed the video was part of an Israeli attempt to discredit Abbas and denounced Fahmi Shabaneh, the former Palestinian intelligence officer at the center of the drama, as a collaborator with Israel.
The allegations come at a time of deadlock in U.S. attempts to renew Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Abbas has said he won't resume negotiations until Israel freezes settlement construction.
Shabaneh said that after Arafat's 2004 death, he was asked by Abbas to investigate official corruption, but that he was ignored when he presented his findings to the Palestinian leader.
Shabaneh said he began investigating Husseini after a woman complained that the chief of staff made suggestive remarks when she went to his office to ask for help with a family problem. Shabaneh said he set up cameras in the woman's apartment, with her permission, and filmed Husseini's next encounters with her.
In the video, Husseini is shown sitting on a couch in a living room, flanked by two women Shabaneh identifies as Husseini's secretary and the unidentified woman who sought his help.
During their conversation, Husseini is heard describing Abbas as aloof and lacking charisma and says Arafat surrounded himself with crooks. At some point, Husseini alludes to his own influence.
"Would you like a decree? Would you like me to issue a presidential decree for you?" he asks, though it's not clear to which of the two women the remark is addressed.
In a later scene, Husseini is shown undressing, alone, in a bedroom.He gets into bed, plumps the pillows and calls out to the unseen woman to join him. "Do I turn off the light or do you? What is the procedure?" he is heard asking the woman.
Moments later, Shabaneh enters the room with three other men and identifies himself. Husseini jumps out of bed and gets dressed.The official Palestinian media have not reported the details, but the video appeared on YouTube and quickly became a main topic of conversation across the Palestinian territories.
The independent West Bank-based Ma'an news agency urged Husseini in an editorial to step down pending an investigation, arguing that he could no longer carry out his job effectively. "This is embarrassing to the Palestinian Authority, this is embarrassing to our people, this is embarrassing to our families," Maan editor-in-chief Nasser Laham, who wrote the editorial, said in an interview.
However, Laham also portrayed the Abbas aide as a victim of a smear campaign, calling Israeli TV's airing of the footage "a lynching."
In Gaza, Hamas claimed it has far more scandalous material involving Fatah officials but is holding back because it does not want to jeopardize attempts at Palestinian reconciliation. Hamas seized control of Gaza from Fatah forces in 2007, and Hamas officials claim they obtained incriminating material at the time.
"We urge Fatah to stop cooperation with the occupation (Israel) and renounce the lowly people within its ranks and resume the national cause," said Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman.
In the Channel 10 broadcast, Shabaneh also produces documents allegedly showing that Palestinian Authority officials have stolen millions of dollars in public funds.
The TV report did not name the suspected officials but said they include Abbas confidants. It said one method was to overbill the Palestinian government for real estate purchases made in its name.
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
were it not for so many of your self-indulgent and deluded leaders we both could have been enjoying peace between us a longtime ago.
Fear not, no additional effort is required to give the PA a "Bad Name" Arafat set the example, stole billions from his people, those that followed him are still doing the same
You're just jealous!!! Even you should realize that if people know about it, it's not a secret P.S. Harems are a Muslim tradition and so is the concept that you can have 4 wives (if you can afford to)
The Hamas operative who was killed in UAE while staying at a luxury hotel and opened the door for a blond masseuse surely wasn't spending his own money.
I really mess the days when Isarel had full control over west bank, at least at these days we knew who the enemy is , and probably got more recognition from the world of our case...Now we are living Double the accupation
have their sexual secret affairs!
Every country has its share of corrupted officials including the US and Israel. This palestinian official trying to get sexual favours is obviously an idiot. Moshe Katsav, the ex PRESIDENT of Israel was charged with RAPE and sexual harassment of many women working for him before being driven out of office. Everyone has a house of glass!
It has been alleged that PA officials that participated in the Oslo negociations were often entertained at the hotels in which they stayed. Swimming pool parties, private parties, and God knows what else. I'm sure such events were video taped secretly and they will be used when needed!
you said"what kind of people the USA have chosen to govern over the decent Palestinian people!" please allow me to disagree with you, Palestinian people voted for this government, now do you think the USA also told the palestinian authority to steal the public money, and have the USA told this guy to take off his clothes and invite the woman to the bed. It's wrong and against God to do that, Clinton,katsav,Olmert, Tiger wood, john Edwards and many many others are doing that around the world.what is wicked about this guy is that he is using this poor,weak woman. he knew God forbid that on him. but Satan lead him to the scandal as he lead many others before him, and Satan is our real enemy. If I were him, I would remain embarrassed the rest of my life, specially showing on you tube naked, so funny.
This link works: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRVp4dokPSI
Hani, so was arafat and many arab leaders in the middle east (Iran, Iraq, Syria, Saudi...), but lets not talk about this. The corrupt govt in the middle east knows its best to make people talk about Israel and forget about their own corruption. Enshala the Iranian regime will fall in the coming years and the people of Iran can return to prosperity. The Shah may have been corrupt, but the present regime is 1000x worst. Welcome to the Middle East. Woops, lets talk about Israel... shhhh dont talk about the corruption.
I believe Husseini is a silly academic and should have been more cautious, however, I doubt very much that he is corrupt or in need of sex in return for favours. The whole story stinks and the Palestinian security apparatus shouldn't be allowed to spy on people in their bedrooms unless there's a conspiracy to assassinate Abbas or harm the national security or attack innocent civilians regardless of their background.
It is obvious the video is doctored, We see Husseini with the 2 women in the sitting room drinking and chatting and he calls Arafat a swindler and calls Tirawi a thief but when the shot changed to him in the bed room, he is wearing different clothes and he is alone. we don't see a woman with him, he gets into bed a lone so there is actually no sex there. I think he was set up by others in order to discredit him and also discredit the PA, I am no fan of Abbas or his ilk but the truth must be said, this is a lousy attempt at giving the PA a bad name
It is obvious that Shabaneh waited to see if he can get bribes from the PA. The tape took place 2 years ago, why now? when he gave up he decided to expose the tape. Sima Shaker is a well know prostitute in Ramallah and Shabaneh urged her to approach Husseini, who by the way is an idiot. And I thought I have seen it all, hehe!!! I doubt this is a corruption case because why didn't the honest Shabaneh uncover the tape rightaway. Still Husseini is an idiot!!!
You are right about Abbas and the PA, Mr Palestinian from Jerusalem, eternal and united capital of Israel.
Honey should not be ashamed for people who have no conscience. What you need to do is to fight for their removal from the position held. Not always throw the blame on Israel.
I don't know about you...but I am completely fed up with all these men in politics that do not know how to keep their pants on. It does not matter which country they come from. It is time to give women more say and more political status. That is not to say women do not involve themselves in sexual trysts but they trully use their brains more.
Have you ever talked to Palestinians before you started to make your racial remarks? They are within reach, but you have no courage to talk to them. Because you know the land is theirs. Those whom the USA and Israel agreed to put on the PA head, are your choice. Otherwise, Israel and the USA would never had agreed to have them in Ramallah.Those who won the elections are living under blockade, by your army, in Gaza, not Ramallah! We heard enough nonsense from you.It is time to talk wisely, and peacefully.If not, your future will stay in doubt.
Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRVp4dokPSIre As of Palestinan origin living in the EU, I am ashamed to give you the link. But I do it, so you and other posters on this talkback know what kind of people the USA have chosen to govern over the decent Palestinian people! Many of the governing PA people have no dignity.Their only interest is to cheat, take bribaries, do not care for their own people.Amazingly, this guy Husseini is Western educated (UK) and belongs to one of most famous families in Arab Jerusalem.
Well! This scandal happend 2 years ago, and Abass knew about it at that time. What did he do about it at that time? Nothing! Becuase he is a partner in those scandals. Now, after we learned the details from an Israeli TV, he started to take actions. Those gangs in Ramallah are a sham on us and our Palestinian history. By the way, I have no problem with people having love or sex afairs, but when you abuse your position and authority then you must get prosecuted.
Abu Mazen is a weak leader. His hay day has long passed. He surrounds himself with the same old corrupt Pal politicians of yesteryear. Have some cojones and get rid of these losers you surround yourself with. How many more of these embarrassing excuses for Pal leaders do you know about and simply say and do nothing about? You really should let Salam Fayyad and Hannan Ashrawi clean house. The only thing you're going to accomplish by business as usual, is pushing the Pal people to less corrupt orgs like Hamas. And like most Pals, I cannot stand nor tolerate radical Islam in any form. To hell with anyone who tries to impose Islamic law as the law of the land. Makes us no better than those radical Israelis who want an all Jewish state with Jewish law. I happen to be Christian born, athiest by choice, and will not accept any form of Islamic law in a Pal govt because it does not encompass all of its people. Hurry up and get your act together or step aside for good and dissolve Fatah.
Palestinians will always be babies in diapers unable to build anything for there people. Blaming Israel for anything wrong that ever happens to them.
Is the video on Youtube? Anybody have the link?