Until the late hours of the night last night the police brought the eighteen people arrested in the alleged corruption affair at Netivei Israel, Israel's state-owned national roads and infrastructures company, before the Rishon LeZion Magistrates Court for hearings on the police request to extend their remand. Those arrested are current and former senior managers at Netivei Israel and suppliers from whom they allegedly took bribes. Among them are former Likud member of Knesset Michael Gorlovsky, who is suspected of extortion with threats, former Netivei Israel chairman Alex Wiznitzer, the company's former CEO Yeshayahu (Shai) Baras, and Sima Levy-Shalom, daughter of former minister of foreign affairs David Levy. The police investigators presented to the court secret information allegedly demonstrating an evidential basis against the suspects justifying their continued remand.
Judge Menahem Mizrahi acceded to each of the police requests, although in some cases he shortened the remand period.
The main allegation by the police against Wiznitzer, Gorlovsky, Baras and the others is that current and former Netivei Israel senior managers promoted the interests of certain suppliers in return for bribes and benefits in kind amounting tens of millions of shekels, thereby committing bribery, fraud, money laundering, and a long list of other offenses.
The arrests of the main suspects, Gorlovsky and Wiznitzer, were extended by ten days. Gorlovsky was convicted in the past of involvement in fraudulent double voting in the Knesset, along with then member of Knesset Yehiel Hazan, and, in a plea bargain, was sentenced to months public service and a two-month suspended prison term. Gorlovsky formerly ran Netivei Israel, and later became a supplier of the company. He is suspected of fraudulent receiving in aggravated circumstances, extortion with threats, money laundering, theft, false accounting, and other offenses.
The offenses attributed to Wiznitzer are of bribery, theft by a public servant, fraudulent receiving in aggravated circumstances, and conspiring to commit a crime. Wiznitzer is also a suspect in the corruption affair in local government and in the Yisrael Beitenu party in which the most notable suspect is former Yisrael Beitenu member of Knesset and minister of internal affairs Fania Kirshenbaum. He is suspected of continuing to take bribes from suppliers even after he left Netivei Israel to use his influence on the company's managers. Baras is suspected of fraud, breach of trust and theft by a public servant. His remand was extended by seven days. Baras is also accused in the Ronel Fisher affair of bribing a former police officer in return for information on the investigation of his role, and is also a suspect in the Yisrael Beitenu corruption affair.
The arrest of Sima Levy-Shalom, acting legal counsel of Netivei Israel, who is suspected of fraudulent receiving and breach of trust, was extended for one day. Levy is, as mentioned, the daughter of David Levy, and she is the sister of current member of Knesset Orly Levy-Abekasis of the Yisrael Beitenu party. She is married to Sharon Shalom, an aide to Yisrael Beitenu chairman Avigdor Liberman. She was mentioned in a State Comptroller's report as having been appointed in charge of legal affairs at Netivei Israel despite her lack of legal experience.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 3, 2015
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