"Let them declare me bankrupt; who's going to stop them?", businessman Eliezer Fishman said yesterday. Fishman owes Bank Leumi (TASE: LUMI) and Bank Hapoalim (TASE: POLI) NIS 4.2 billion .
Fishman told Channel 2 that he had not heard that Bank Hapoalim had announced its opposition to the debt arrangement with him, or that Bank Leumi had demanded further clarifications before deciding its position. "I'm not advising them; let them do what's best for them," he said.
According to Fishman, declaring him bankrupt will not obtain much more money for the banks than the debt arrangement. "They know I have no more money to give, and they won't manage to seize other assets, because there are none. They're just fishing around in order to exert pressure. They took everything - period."
Fishman added that his home was registered in his wife's name. "It has been in her name for 30 years. She agreed to give part of the house for the arrangement. If there's no arrangement, I don't have to leave the house," he explained.
According to Fishman, the claims that he is incapable of bringing money independently are incorrect. "They took all of my money. They took almost NIS 2 billion. Where am I getting it from - my grandmother?", he exclaimed angrily. "I don't understand. Let them do what's best for them."
Fishman denied that his assets transferred to his children could be seized. "It's their money. There are laws in Israel, and if something is wrong according to those laws, they can take it. If they say I acted deceitfully, however, and they have no proof, they shouldn't say it," he declared. He said that his children's homes had been registered in their names for two decades.
Fishman said he was not greatly worried about the issue. "I'm calm. If I could do something useful, I would, that's all. I'm almost 75 years old, so it's really not a critical matter," he added. "My wife and children are wrought up, but it's not so bad - they'll get through it."
Published by Globes [online], Israel Business News - www.globes-online.com - on June 6, 2017
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