The Economic Departmnet of the State Attorney's Office signed a plea bargain agreement this morning with former tourism minister Stas Misezhnikov in cases 242 (the "Yisrael Beitenu affair").
Under the agreement, Misezhnikov, who was a member of Knesset for the Yisrael Beitenu party led by Avigdor Liberman, currently minister of defense, will admit to crimes of fraud and breach of trust, and will serve a 15-month prison sentence.
Misezhnikov will admit that, while he was minister of tourism between 2009 and 2013, he gave a budget of NIS 1 million to a student festival in Eilat, and at the same time asked the festival organizers to employ his partner, which they did, paying her tens of thousands of shekels.
Misezhnikov was also suspected of sending an aide to buy cocaine while on official visits overseas. It is believed that he will not be indicted on drugs related charges.
The indictments in the Yisrael Beitenu affair relate to over ten separate corruption cases. The main accused is Faina Kirschenbaum, who served as a member of the Knesset for Yisrael Beiteinu between 2009 and 2015 and was also deputy minister of the interior and secretary of the Yisrael Beitenu party. Kirschenbaum is accused of several counts of bribery, fraud, breach of trust, money laundering, and tax offences.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 31, 2017
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