A close political associate of Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir has been indicted for soliciting and accepting bribes on behalf of the Likud party during the 1984 election campaign.
Michael Dekel, 70, was a Likud Knesset member and deputy minister of defense at the time. Today, he is an adviser to Shamir on settlement policy in the administered territories.
The indictment, presented to a Tel Aviv court this week, alleges that Dekel persuaded land dealers to give donations amounting to as much as $185,000 to Likud party funds.
In return, the charge sheet alleges, contributors were to receive preferential treatment in dealings with the government.
Israel’s Itim news agency reported that Shamir participated in solicitation of the funds. But the prime minister has not been implicated in the scam.
There is also no suggestion that Dekel pocketed any of the money himself.
He could face a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
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