Yeheskel Sahar, Israeli Ambassador to Austria, today was scheduled for trial in District Court here, October 2, on a charge of perjury. He pleaded not guilty to the charge when he appeared yesterday.
The case grew out of a libel suit instituted in 1957 by Amos Ben-Gurion, son of the Prime Minister, who was then deputy Inspector General of Police under Mr. Sahar. The latter, who was Amos Ben-Gurion’s chief, testified on behalf of the Premier’s son. Amos Ben-Gurion had sued a group of vigilantes here who had published allegations that he had closed a police file involving a friend of young Ben-Gurion, Yeshayah Yarkoni.
Amos Ben-Gurion won the case after Mr. Sahar had testified he did not know Yarkoni was under suspicion. He was awarded damages but a higher court later reduced the amount of damages. In the course of the judgment reducing the damages the court accused Mr. Sahar of perjuring himself. Mr. Sahar is on leave from the foreign service pending the court’s determination of the charges against him.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
