In a development that could touch off a new political crisis here, Attorney General Yosef Harish has announced that he intends to press charges of financial corruption against Interior Minister Aryeh Deri.
After almost three years of investigation, Harish notified Deri on Sunday of his decision to press charges against him on five counts: fraud, breach of trust, accepting bribes, accepting benefits through fraud and false registration of documents.
Deri, who heads the fervently Orthodox Shas party, is suspected of improperly channeling public funds to organizations affiliated with his party as well as misappropriating public monies for his own private use.
Harish told Deri that within three weeks he would have the opportunity of a special hearing in front of the attorney general, before an actual indictment is presented in court.
Even so, the hearing would be limited in time and scope.
In his initial reaction to the news, Deri said he felt “relieved” after reading the draft indictment, since the charges were much less serious than expected.
Deri declared he intends to honor a prior commitment he gave to step down from his ministerial post once an indictment is handed down.
He repeated his view that Shas should not quit the Labor-led coalition once he leaves his post and said he would do his utmost to prevent a coalition crisis.
A similar view was voiced by Shas Knesset member Rafael Pinhasi.
Earlier in the day, Harish met with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin to show him the charge sheet drawn up against the Shas party leader.
Justice Minister David Libai, reacting to the news, insisted that Deri step down from his ministerial post “within a matter of weeks.”
$500,000 FOR PRIVATE PURPOSES
Harish’s meeting with Rabin was arranged to discuss what position the government should take regarding a petition to the High Court of Justice demanding that Deri be suspended from office immediately.
The appeal was presented to the court by the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, headed by lawyer Eliad Shraga, prior to Deri’s reappointment as interior minister at the end of the recent coalition crisis.
Shraga had argued that Deri should not be reappointed while an investigation into his alleged wrongdoings was entering its final stages.
The court did not block Deri’s reappointment, but gave the government 45 days to respond to the appeal.
Since Deri heads the Shas party, a junior partner in the governing coalition, it is feared that his indictment could throw the government back into a political crisis.
The Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported that according to the charge sheet, Deri used public funds of up to $500,000 for private purposes.
Libai insisted that if Deri were given the special hearing before the attorney general, the proceedings should be limited in time so that the Knesset would be able to remove Deri’s parliamentary immunity before its summer recess begins Aug. 7.
Deri told reporters that, judging from the information in the press, the prosecution has little against him and he has little to worry about.
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