AG to open criminal probe against MK Avraham, suspected of bribery
Avraham, MK Eli Aflalo suspected of traveling overseas at expense of agricultural export company half-owned by state.
By Guy Lashem, Haaretz CorrespondentMK Ruhama Avraham of Kadima will be questioned by the police in the near future on suspicions of receiving bribes and breach of trust, TheMarker. has learned.
Avraham is leading the the fight against President Moshe Katsav in an attempt to forbid him from appearing in the Knesset until his investigation has ended.
A few weeks ago Attorney General Menachem Mazuz ordered the police to open an investigation of Avraham and the agricultural export company Agrexco and its CEO, Shlomo Tirosh. Mazuz also ordered the police Investigations Division to investigate Tirosh for offering bribes to Avraham and MK Eli Aflalo, also of Kadima. The National Fraud Squad was placed in charge of the investigation.
Last November TheMarker exposed that Avraham and Aflalo, then MK's representing the Likud, traveled overseas at Agrexco's expense. The two flew to Belgium and the U.S. in the summer of 2004, even though the year before the Knesset Ethics Committee forbade them to travel overseas at Agrexco's expense.
The cost of the trip was $6,800, and additional expenses for the two added up to $4,388. Avraham said at the time: "It is possible that an innocent mistake was made." Since then the two MK's have paid back the cost of the trips.
Agrexco is 50 percent owned by the state, with the other half owned by the various agricultural p roduction and marketing boards.
The state comptroller examined the affair after it was exposed. He determined that Tirosh expected some form of quid pro quo in return for the trip. Tirosh asked for their assistance in advancing Agrexco's interests in the Knesset at the time: saving the company large expenses on security checks for the agricultural cargo it was exporting.
Avraham worked to call a special meeting of the Knesset Interior Committee, which dealt with the matter, even though she was not a member of that committee. She even chaired part of the meeting. All this came a short time after the free trip.
Avraham's activities, and the fact that she did not inform the members of the committee of the trip, all point to the suspicion of accepting a bribe.
The Justice Ministry said: "After examing the state comptroller's report on the matter, it was decided by the attorney general and state prosecutor to open a criminal investigation on the suspicion of accepting bribes and breach of trust; and against Agrexco and its CEO on suspicion of offering bribes."
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
Maybe the shorter list would be the MKs who are NOT under investigation or some other cloud.
Louis, most regretfully, you are very much right, Shas notwithstanding.
I am well aware that the Shas MK are among the most notoriously corrupt in the Knesset. I am well aware that one of the Chief Rabbis was asked to resign by Attorney-General Mazuz. I am struck, of course, by the almost total disconnect between outward observance of ritual and moral integrity among Orthodox Jewish politicians in Israel. But I think I still have the right to be profoundly disappointed. And you still fail to give me some rationalization or explanation as to why the Israelis seem to condone or tolerate it.
What do you mean by "Even Shas!!"??The "religious" sector has some of the most representative "exemplars" of crooked MKs and Public Figures. Read some israeli newspapers.
This reminds me of the IRS going in full force after the hair dressers and dentists, leaving the "big fish" unscated. If the Rabbi does it.....
Given that you have one of the largest concentration of Jews in the world. And given we Jews have a reputation for scholarly achievement and business acumen. With the political opportunity unparalleled anywhere in the world to show what we Jews can achieve, why do we have such a lack of any distinguished political leaders of moral integrity like the generation of Founders of the modern state of Israel? Why is it that the personal integrity and behavior of MKs seems to be the worst Israel has to offer? Even Shas!! I truly just don't get it!!