A state prosecutor has recommended that Interior Minister Arye Deri, who heads the religious Sephardic party Shas, face criminal charges stemming from alleged improper use of government funds.
The recommendation is expected to be approved by Attorney General Yosef Harish, which would pave the way for legal proceedings against Deri, who has been under police investigation for a year.
But the. 31-year-old Deri, who has so far refused to respond to the allegations, is not the only member of his party to come under police investigation.
Yair Levy, one of Shas’ five Knesset members, and Rafael Pinhasi, the communications minister, are also under investigation for alleged financial impropriety, according to police sources.
Rabbi Yosef Azran of Shas, Israel’s deputy finance minister, said that the party would not break coalition ranks over the state prosecutor’s decision, adding: “Truth will triumph.”
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.
