Former Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger has been arrested on suspicion of bribery, tax offenses, money laundering, and other crimes amounting to millions of shekels.
The Israel Police today arrested for the second time former Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger on suspicion of bribery, tax offenses, money laundering, and other crimes amounting to millions of shekels. He allegedly committed the offenses with other individuals while he was serving as chief rabbi. He was brought to the Rishon LeZion Magistrates Court for extension of his remand.
The Police Lahav 433 unit and Tax Authority's Tel Aviv income tax investigations unit investigated Metzger for months. The Jerusalem Prosecutor's Office oversaw the investigation. The investigation began as an undercover operation, and became an open investigation in June, when Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein and State Prosecutor Moshe Lador approved detaining Metzger for questioning under caution.
Metzger allegedly pocketed part of hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations he solicited for various NGOs.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 18, 2013
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