Police investigation may bar Lieberman from treasury post (money laundering, fraud)

[IndianaGreen]

Lieberman is a racist, and a criminal as well:

Last update - 07:26 13/02/2009

Police investigation may bar Lieberman from treasury post

By Uri Blau and Lily Galili

It may not be possible to appoint Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman as finance minister - a possibility that had been discussed during the coalition talks of the past two days - because the Tax Authority, which is part of the Finance Ministry, was involved in the criminal investigation against Lieberman.

The ongoing investigation already prevents him from heading either the public security or the justice ministry, since they oversee the police and the prosecution, respectively, and it would be improper for a minister under investigation to oversee the organizations responsible for deciding his case. The Finance Ministry, in contrast, would not normally be a problem, and sources involved in the coalition talks said that Lieberman did demand this portfolio, along with the Housing Ministry, in his talks with Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu. But the fact that the Tax Authority was also involved in the Lieberman probe may throw a monkey wrench into this idea.

<snip>

The investigation of Lieberman heated up two and a half weeks before the election, when the police arrested seven suspects, including his daughter Michal and his attorney Yoav Many.

In April 2007, Haaretz published an investigative report on M.L.-1, a business consulting firm set up by Michal Lieberman in 2004, when she was 21 years old. She was listed as the sole shareholder, but one of the company's two official addresses was her father's house in the West Bank settlement of Nokdim.

Between 2004 and 2007, the company received NIS 11 million from anonymous overseas sources in exchange for "business consulting." Avigdor Lieberman received a salary of over NIS 2.5 million from M.L.-1 during 2004-06, when he was not serving in the cabinet or Knesset, and was thus legally entitled to do so. But the company itself remained active even after Lieberman rejoined the Knesset in March 2006.

The police suspect Lieberman of money laundering, fraud and breach of trust. However, the investigation was delayed for over a year, from April 2007 until August 2008, because of lawsuits filed by Lieberman and his associates claiming that various documents the police wanted to examine were protected by attorney-client privilege. Only after the courts finally rejected these suits were police able to begin studying the documents.

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1063809.html

[robinlynne]

1. Damn, I thought it was Joe Lieberman!!!! I was shouting hooray.

I mean this is good too, but.

[IndianaGreen]

2. Joe Lieberman is a scoundrel, but he is not a racist

and he is not related to our Russian friend Avigdor, the man that according to rightwing Jerusalem Post is demanding from Likud "to push through his demands for civil unions* and an eased conversion process."

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1233304770143&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

* not LGBT civil unions.

Lieberman's Israel Beiteinu party is a collection of Russian pork eaters with a strong authoritarian streak among them.

[CanonRay]

3. Israel has a scumbag Lieberman too?

Is it in the genes?

[Scurrilous]

4. Lieberman received large payout from daughter's company as MK

<snip>

"Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Lieberman allegedly received hundreds of thousands of shekels when he was an MK and a minister from the company established by his daughter, according to an investigation by Haaretz Magazine to be released Friday.

According to the investigation, Lieberman allegedly received the money as severance pay, after working for the company for only two years.

"I never engaged in private work concurrent with serving as an MK," Lieberman said.

Haaretz Magazine also reports that the company his daughter Michal Lieberman established in 2004, M.L.1, continued to receive money from abroad in 2008, and is still in operation.

The company has received at least NIS 12 million from abroad in the four and a half years since its founding.

More than NIS 3 million was allegedly received in 2007 and more than NIS 1 million in 2008. These funds were classified as payment for "business consulting."

Lieberman has allegedly received about NIS 3 million from the company since its establishment.

A police investigation is trying to find out who gave the money and why, and reportedly suspects Lieberman and others of money laundering, fraudulent receiving and breach of trust."

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