Jacob Litzman will be charged at a hearing

The indictment of Housing and Construction Minister Yaakov Litzman (United Torah Judaism) will be brought to a hearing. The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Jerusalem informed the Minister’s attorney today that Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit is considering charging him with obstruction of justice and breach of faith, subject to a hearing that will take place if he so desires. Litzman allegedly used his ministerial status and powers when he was deputy health minister to promote individuals’ interests from outside considerations and against the interests he was responsible for protecting. The first case that Litzman is suspected is that of Malka Lever, which Australian authorities have requested for her extradition in connection with the alleged sexual assault of pupils at the Melbourne school of which she was principal. Following attempts on Leifer’s behalf in 2015, Litzman allegedly pressured the Jerusalem District psychiatrist to change his view that Leifer was the first to be mentally tried. After a lengthy legal process, Leifer was finally extradited to Australia in January of this year. The other case involving Litzman concerned the Beit Yisrael catering company, of which Litzman was a regular customer. He allegedly tried to intervene when the company faced a shutdown due to an acute lack of hygiene. A statement on Litzman’s behalf said, “Throughout his time in public life, Minister Litzman acted on behalf of all communities and groups of the population in Israel, responding to an approach by members of the public without discrimination and in accordance with the law only. We believe in his complete innocence and welcome the decision to acquit Minister Litzman of the charge of bribery. Minister Litzman will prepare for a hearing at the end of which we trust that, with the help of God, the remaining false accusations against him will be removed. Posted by Globes, Israel business news – en.globes.co.il – on May 27, 2021 © Copyright Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2021