Israel Police is investigating senior officers on suspicion
of accepting bribes from an influential Israeli rabbi, in a scandal involving
the police, a former cabinet minister and even the FBI. The details of the
investigation were released Thursday, after a sweeping gag order on the affair
was lifted.
The case includes claims that the wife of Rabbi Yoshiyahu
Pinto handed a suitcase containing hundreds of thousands of shekels to the wife
of senior Israel Police Brigadier General Ephraim Bracha, in return for
information regarding an investigation into an association with which Pinto was
involved.
Pinto is one of Israel’s most influential rabbis, acting as
a spiritual adviser to numerous politicians and tycoons, and heads many
education and welfare organizations.
Bracha, then head of investigations and currently the head
of the national unit for fraud investigation, informed his superiors of the
delivery over of the suitcase, noting that it was a bribe. The rabbi, however,
insisted that he was only supporting Bracha, who had been in need of help.
Bracha's complaint prompted police to summon Pinto and draft
an indictment, but proceedings were suspended due to new information.
In Wednesday's issue of a newsletter the rabbi releases
periodically to his supporters, he wrote: "I will reveal my emotions
before you. Dear brothers, this dark time forced upon us haunts us without us
having committed any crime, and only due to narrow-minded and cruel considerations
of those who use scare tactics."
The only senior police officer whose name is actually
mentioned in a statement issued by the Justice Ministry regarding the
investigation is Commander Menashe Arviv.
The Israel Police department of internal affairs stated
that, "a probe was recently launched regarding officer Menashe Arviv,
following information handed several weeks ago to the attorney general and the
state prosecutor, attributing bribery felonies to sources affiliated with Rabbi
Pinto. At this stage, Arviv has yet to be questioned."
The Justice Ministry also stressed that, "in
investigating Rabbi Pinto, there is no basis for suspicion of criminal
misconduct by Ephraim Bracha, and that remains to be true."
After meeting with Police Commissioner Yohanan Danino, Arviv
also denied any wrongdoing, claiming that he is being unjustly accused.
"This is a false accusation and damaging to my
reputation," Arviv said. "I believe that the investigation will be
carried out quickly and effectively, and that at its conclusion my good name
will be restored."
Following the publication of the investigation, Arviv
decided to suspend himself until conclusion of legal proceedings. Danino
himself has called for caution in condemning Arviv.
"It would be wise to let the authorities do their
utmost before sentencing a man," the police chief said. "As we have
proven in the past, the police do not compromise on values and principles, but
we must keep in mind that this is an early stage of the investigation, and the
police officer is entitled to the presumption of innocence."
Some of the new information that changed the nature of the
probe suggested that Arviv had received bribes from Pinto when the former was
working in the US. Arviv denied the allegations, insisting that none of the
actions attributed to him had taken place, and that it was "the gossip of
narrow-minded individuals."
FBI investigation
The affair came to light due to an FBI wiretap agreed to by
Pinto as part of a settlement with the bureau, after a blackmail complaint
filed by Pinto forced the rabbi to testify against Michael Grimm, a New York
Republican Congressman and a former FBI agent.
Grimm was under investigation by the FBI for illegal
donations to his 2010 election campaign. Some of the donations reportedly came
from sources affiliated with Rabbi Pinto.
Pinto's agreement with the FBI required the rabbi's phone to
be wiretapped, and for him to divulge any information regarding financial
transactions associated with his Hazon Yeshaya non-profit organization.
Pinto says the FBI was informed of the suitcase with money
that was given to Bracha, as part of the bureau's surveillance. Further
investigation apparently yielded information regarding other senior Israeli
police officers who had visited the rabbi and received benefits from him.
According to Pinto's associates, one of the FBI's recordings
has led to a religious figure closely affiliated to several police officials,
who had approached Pinto himself, offering to "dissolve" the
investigation against him in exchange for money.
In the last 24 hours, an FBI representative landed in Israel
together with recordings, documents, copies of emails, and other materials that
allegedly confirm the claims of Rabbi Pinto in regards to his link to the
senior police officers.
However, it appears that the FBI is furious with the Israeli
police, insisting there are officers who compromised the investigation against
Grimm by tarnishing Pinto. It is at this stage that a former senior Israeli
cabinet minister becomes involved, who Pinto claims was one of those who asked
the rabbi to "lay off" his testimony against Grimm. It is unclear to
what extent the investigators will focus on this claim, but sources familiar
with Pinto's businesses dealings have stated in the past that, "If this
can of worms is opened, many Israeli officials will be embarrassed by the
results."
The entire sequence of events has been under a gag order in
recent weeks, which was lifted by Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Thursday
morning upon the request of Ynet and other media outlets. On Wednesday, it was
announced that the case is to be discussed by a Knesset subcommittee that
oversees the Israel Police. Senior police officers are expected to be summoned,
including, according to reports, Danino himself.
The Israel Police issued a statement Wednesday urging media
to avoid from insinuating that police officials had been involved any criminal
misconduct, warning "vague publications maneuvering the limitation of gag
orders produce unrealistic generalizations."
"The Israeli police comprises some 30,000 policemen and
women who are devoted, determined and loyal in serving the public.
"Israel Police would like to clarify to the public that
no specific incident, as we have proven in the past, can tarnish an entire
organization… It would be best if authorities could issue statements when the
time comes, and avoid unnecessary rumor-mongering."
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