Former Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger, who was arrested on Monday morning 15 Kislev 5774, has been remanded and he will remain in custody. The Rishon L’Tzion Magistrate Court extended the rabbi’s remand for nine days.
Justice Menachem Mizrachi explained that based on the evidence before the court, “there is reasonable suspicion regarding the allegations against the suspect. This is based in part on weighty confidential reports and there is reason to believe that if the suspect is released he will interfere with the investigation. I base this on an exceptional document that turned the ears of everyone who saw it.”
The court has placed a gag order on some details of the case, including the names of the state witnesses who apparently incriminated the former chief rabbi.
As was reported earlier by YWN-ISRAEL, the chief rabbi has been under investigation for months to allegations of accepting bribes, money laundering, tax evasion and breach of trust. He was questioned ‘under warning’, which means investigators have sufficient evidence against a suspect to make a criminal indictment likely. It appears the Israel Police Lahav 433 investigations unit is now moving ahead with an indictment.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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6 Responses
Just the latest bizayon & chillul hashem to arise from the insistence of UTJ to appoint him as Chief Rabbi in order to keep harav Ariel shlit”a from becoming Chief Rabbi. Way to go guys.
I can’t imagine why anyone still runs for office in the israeli govt. this keeps on happening. the justice system is so not right that anyone a bit to the right ends up losing out. But surely even if your innocent, you’re gonna go through some kind of indictment
And I thought it was only Chicago that sent every politician to jail!
Typical zionist trumped up false charges.
My father was a prosecutor for years, and said many times that any prosecutor who couldn’t get an indictment against a dead dog was worthless.
He said in an indictment you only have to show that a crime might have been committed and that the person indicted might have committed the crime. Only the prosecutor presents for an indictment. There is no defense presentation. Nothing has to be proven.
#2,3- Sadly, the great majority of politicians and public officials who have been found guilty of corruption have been charedi, so I can understand why you would feel that way. But the fact is that only a small fraction of a percent of Israeli politicians and public servants have ever been investigated, let alone indicted, let alone convicted.
#4- Stories of his corruption and immorality – some of them hair raising – have been going around for years. Thank God that the police waited until he was no longer in office to take the investigation to the next step.