The Israel Securities Authority is investigating former Rogosin chairman Ezra Harel on suspicion of crimes related to the collapse of the TASE-traded company.
As far as is known, Harel was not arrested but is being questioned at the Securities Authority's offices. Israel Securities Authority spokesman Uri Katzir told ''Globes'' that the authority did not respond to questions on matters related to its investigations.
Harel was the controlling shareholder of Rogosin, and an executive at the company. In February, the company notified the Tel Aviv District Court that it would not object to being investigated by Adv. Pinhas Rubin, the company's manager by special appointment.
In that announcement, the company said a transparent and open public investigation would take place, at the earliest convenience, in order to stop what it called a campaign of slander and libel being waged against it.
Judge Varda Alshech had decided to permit Rubin to call company executives and other Rogosin-associated individuals in for questioning and investigation. Those questioned claimed the press was guilty of defamation of character. They said that documents related to the company's activities and business had been transferred properly, along with control of the company, in June 2002. As far as was known to them, they said, documents were given over to Rubin when he was named Rogosin's provisional liquidator in 2002.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on 25 May 2003