The Israel Police Investigations and Intelligence Branch is considering whether to initiate an inquiry against Minister of Finance Ronnie Bar-On for double voting on the economic plan bill in May 2003. The police say that it has material about Bar-On's vote and that if an evidentiary basis is found for opening an investigation, it will notify the Attorney General to do so, as required in investigations against a minister.
Earlier this week, Hebrew daily "Yediot Ahronot" published photographs that proved that former Shas MK Yehiel Haza and Likud MK Michael Gorlovsky were not the only ones who double voted on the day in question. The photographs show that Bar-On did so as well, on behalf of former Likud MK Inbal Gavriely.
Bar-On later gave evidence to the police about Hazan's double vote, and declared, "I did not make a double vote on behalf of MK Inbal Gavriely." However, Bar-On was asked about another vote during the session - the vote for choosing a name for the law.
This week, Bar-On admitted that he pressed more than one button. "In retrospect, I believe that the vote was in place of an MK present at the plenum, even with his permission, is improper, and to the extent that such an incident occurred, it is a mistake, which I regret."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 19, 2008
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