Israel Police: Indict Deputy Heath Minister Yaakov Litzman

Yaakov Litzman
Yaakov Litzman

Litzman allegedly abused his authority to influence Health Ministry professional staff on behalf of criminal suspects.

Israel Police has concluded its investigation of Deputy Minister of Health Yaakov Litzman, of the United Torah Judaism party, on suspicion that he abused his status and authority in the Ministry of Health to bring improper influence to bear on decision making by subordinate professional staff at the ministry. Among other things, the police investigated the allegation that Litzman tried to influence a psychiatric assessment of a pedophilia suspect.

The Jerusalem District Attorney's Office will now have to decide whether Litzman should be indicted.

The investigation of Litzman ("Case 1452") was carried out by the Lahav 433 national fraud squad, and covered several events. The first was Litzman's alleged attempt to influence improperly assessments of several psychiatrists employed by the Ministry of Health and appointed by the Jerusalem District Court to decide whether a pedophilia suspect whose extradition is sought by the Australian authorities after she fled to Israel is fit to stand trial.

In the investigation, Litzman denied any connection to the case, and claimed he had not dealt with the matter in any way. The suspect in whose case Litzman is suspected of having intervened is sought by the law enforcement agencies in Australia in connection with allegations that she committed a large number of sexual offences against under-age girls when she was principal of a school in Melbourne.

The second instance of alleged improper interference by Litzman in the work of Ministry of Health professional staff involves a food business owned by an associate. Litzman is suspected of having intervened to prevent the closure of the business following serious hygiene deficiencies found at it that led to several people who consumed its products falling ill.

Litzman is also suspected of improper intervention in the work of the Ministry of Health psychological health center and of other ministries on behalf of prisoners, some of them convicted sex offenders, seeking to be released after serving two-thirds of their sentences or to be released on parole.

The stance of the police is that there is an adequate evidentiary basis for charging Litzman with fraud, breach of trust, and suborning of witnesses in the extradition case, and charges of fraud, breach of trust and bribery in the case of the food business. In the prisoner release case, some of the events are prescribed under the Statute of Limitations, and in the remainder insufficient evidence was found to support an indictment.

Presumption of innocence: The case against Yaakov Litzman is in the initial stages. He denies the actions attributed to him, and is entitled to the presumption of innocence.

Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on August 6, 2019

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2019

Yaakov Litzman
Yaakov Litzman
Run:ai founders Omri Geller and Ronen Dar and investor S Fund's Aya Peterburg credit: Sharon Levin Regulators finally approve Nvidia's $800m acquisition of Run:ai

The eight month delay in US approval of the deal saw Nvidia's share price rise over 70%, which will suit the Israeli company's founders and employers who will be paid in shares to remain with Run:ai.

Metro credit: Bar Lavi Ra'anana station moved as final section of Metro approved

The M1 line northern section comprises 28 kilometers with 20 stations, which will link Kfar Saba and Ra'anana to the center of the metropolitan region via Herzliya, Hod Hasharon and Ramat Hasharon.

Bank Hapoalim branch  credit: Aviv Gottlieb Hapoalim to shed 770 employees in streamlining plan

The bank's 2025-2028 early retirement plan is expected to result in savings of about NIS 300 million per year before tax.

El Al credit: El Al PR El Al suspends Tel Aviv - Moscow flights

The Israeli airline will reconsider the situation at the end of March after an Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft crashed making an emergency landing last week, after Russian air defenses identified it as a hostile plane.

Tech investment illustration: Tal Bogdanovsky IVC-LeumiTech: Tech fund raising up 38% in 2024

The report is generally optimistic although the number of Israeli investors in tech companies has reached a low for recent years.

Google HQ   credit: Paresh Dave, Reuters Amazon, Google Israel supercomputer talks fail

The Israel Innovation Authority has issued a call for proposals for other companies to file bids to build the government supercomputer, after failing to persuade Amazon and Google to bid for the tender, "Globes" has learned.

Gas station credit: Tali Bogdanovsky Gasoline prices in Israel to rise Tuesday night

The maximum price of government price controlled 95 octane gasoline at self-service pumps in Israel will rise on Tuesday at midnight January 1, 2025, by NIS 0.08 per liter to NIS 7.20 per liter, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has announced.

Bank of Jerusalem CEO Yair Kaplan Bank of Jerusalem raises bid to merge with Isracard

Bank of Jerusalem is bidding to make a reverse merger into Isracard in an all-share deal at a company valuation of between NIS 3.8 billion and NIS 4.2 billion.

Israeli apartments Credit: Shutterstock Apartments sold and rented

A selection of recent real estate deals in Israel including in Tel Aviv, Bat Yam, Or Yehuda, Modi’in, Yokneam Illit and Jisr az-Zarqa.

ATMOS and PULS Systems credit: Elbit Systems Danish media campaign seeks to torpedo Elbit deal

The campaign opposes the $250 million deal signed between Israeli defense electronics company Elbit Systems and Denmark's army for the supply of artillery and rocket launchers.

Bezalel Smotrich  credit: Yossi Zamir Finance C'ttee passes trapped profits taxation bill

The new legislation will make maintaining a personal service company much less worthwhile.

ServiceTitan IPO  credit: Reuters/Brendan McDermid Israeli tech flotations seen reviving in 2025

One highly successful software IPO has raised expectations of better times ahead for tech companies seeking to go public, with several Israeli startups poised to take advantage.

Declining tech industry pay  credit: Ussama Azam Unsplash Pay in Israel's tech sector falls

According to a report by placement company Ethosia, junior tech workers are having a particularly tough time.

Idan Ofer  credit: Sivan Farag Kenon sells remaining ZIM stake

Idan Ofer's Kenon Holdings sold 9.1 million shares in the shipping line for $178 million.

Meta credit: Shutterstock Meta to pay $1m to settle job ads discrimination suit

The class action revealed how the world's largest social network enabled Israeli employers to define exposure to employment advertising by age and gender.

Power supply  credit: Shutterstock Price of electricity to rise by less than planned

The Israel Public Utility Authority for Electricity has decided that the consumer tariff will rise by 3.5% in January.

Twitter Facebook Linkedin RSS Newsletters גלובס Israel Business Conference 2018