Former Knesset Member Yair Levy of the Orthodox party Shas, has been sentenced to five years in jail for stealing money from a party fund meant to finance educational projects.
Levy was convicted of stealing 311,791 shekels (approximately $115,500) from the Shas party’s El Hamayan fund. In addition to the jail sentence imposed Thursday by the Tel Aviv District Court, Levy faces a 275,000 shekel ($102,000) fine and a two-year suspended jail sentence.
Levy’s wife, Geula, was sentenced to six months in jail for forging signatures on checks in the bank where she worked. She also received an 18-month suspended jail sentence, but in actuality it is unlikely she will serve even her six-month term, substituting community service instead.
The judge said he would have given Geula Levy an even stiffer sentence were she not the mother of seven children.
Yair Levy seemed particularly shocked by the stiff sentence, which broke a plea bargain reached earlier between Levy and the prosecution.
Under the deal, Levy was supposed to have received a 40-month sentence in exchange for admitting to most of the charges.
However, Judge Arye Segalson did not honor the plea bargain, strongly criticizing Levy’s behavior. He blamed Levy for putting the money into his own pocket, under the pretext of using the funds for public purposes.
He charged that Levy, who headed the educational network El Hamayan, had “separated conscience from his lust for money.” And he said Levy’s statement during the trial regretting his actions was insincere.
“Penitence is expressed in deeds, not words,” said the judge, “and Levy will continue to enjoy his ill-gotten money even after his release from jail.”
The judge was particularly critical of Levy’s insistence on keeping his right to remain silent at the beginning of the trial. “Such a person should not expect mercy from the court,” he said.
Levy’s lawyer announced he will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
The state attorney’s office expressed satisfaction over the sentence, despite the fact that the judge rejected the plea bargain agreement.
The head of the Shas party, Interior Minister Arye Deri — himself the subject of an investigation over the misuse of government funds — said he was disappointed with the decision.
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