Channel 2 corresponded Guy Peleg on Tuesday produced a document which indicates Likud candidate Dan Meridor served as attorney for billionaire Arkadi Gaydamak for two years prior to his return to the political arena, defending Gaydamak against money laundering charges pertaining to the Bank Hapoalim case.

According to the document, Meridor’s legal services do not come cheap, charging his client $600,000 and calling for a bonus of $5 million if he succeeds in getting the case closed.

The case dates back to 2005, alleging that Gaydamak used a Yarkon Street Bank Hapoalim branch in Tel Aviv to run his money laundering operation. The investigation took on an increasingly serious character in 2007 as police believed Gaydamak was involved in heavier dealings. Gaydamak had a number of meetings with investigators during the investigation period, represented by attorneys Meridor and Shlomo Ben-Aryeh. After landing a ‘realistic’ slot in the Likud primaries, Meridor handed the case over to colleague David Libai, who like Meridor is a former justice minister.

Commenting on the sums reportedly demanded by Meridor, a number of officials of the Israel Bar Association and prominent attorneys states “it does not have a good smell to it”, explaining the fees quoted are in excess or industry norms.

Gaydamak has been represented by some 20 legal firms in Israel, leading firms in the nation, including Dr. Yaakov Weinrot, Uri Messer, Yossi Segev and Eyal Roseoffski.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)