This afternoon, Judge Avraham Heiman of the Rishon LeZion Magistrates Court acceded to the request by "Globes", through Adv. Yoram Muszkat, and by Channel 10, Channel 2, and Yediot Ahronot, and allowed partial publication of the details of the affair investigated in the past few weeks by the National Fraud Unit, an affair connected to the police raid on the offices of Polar Investments reported this morning.
The judge said, "After reviewing the application by the police, I permit the following to be published: The Magistrates Court allowed it to be reported that following a covert investigation several people involved were arrested on suspicion of the offences of giving and taking bribes, acting as middleman in bribery, fraud and breach of trust, conspiracy, and other offences, in connection with the Holyland project in Jerusalem and other projects, among them Manara Cliff, and other projects connected to Hazera."
With the switch to an overt investigation, searches were carried out at the houses of the suspects and at the offices of Polar Investments, parent company of Hazera, and Kardan, and also at the Jerusalem Municipality and at other places. Later, Hillel Cherney, Uri Messer, Meir Rabin, former Jerusalem City Engineer Uri Shetrit, Eli Hasson, Amram Benizri, among others, were brought before the court for a hearing on extension of their arrest.
The court extended Messer's arrest by six days and the arrest of the others by 8 days. Benizri was released on bail to house arrest. A gagging order was imposed on other details of the affair, including on the names of other people involved not mentioned.
The judge added that "this is one of the most serious affairs in the country's history."
Uri Messer was a close associate of former prime minister Ehud Olmert. The two founded a law firm in their early days together. Although he has been questioned in the various affairs connected to Olmert, the State Attorney's Office decided not to indict him. Detained for six days.
Uri Shetrit is an architect and was formerly City Engineer of Jerusalem. In the past, his name has been mentioned in connection with the affair of Olmert's house in Jerusalem's Cremieux Street. Although the case against Olmert was closed, evidence was found that Shetrit, who was friendly with Olmert, used his influence in various quarters to expedite processing of applications in connection with the project. Detained for eight days.
Hillel Cherney is the former owner of the land on which the Holyland project, which is being investigated, was built. He is a partner in the Manara Cliff tourism project in northern Israel overlooking Kiryat Shemonah. That project too is under investigation. Detained for eight days.
Meir Rabin is Cherney's assistant. Detained for eight days.
Eli Hasson is the financial controller of the Holyland project. Detained for eight days.
Amram Benizri - released to house arrest.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 7, 2010
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2010