Tel-Chai Nation

Looks like somebody who'd once served as a member of the awful Avigdor Liberman's party in the Knesset has now been convicted for her role in a bribery scheme:

Former Yisrael Beytenu Knesset member Faina Kirshenbaum was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison for her role in arranging a wide-reaching kickback scheme considered one of the largest political corruption cases in years.

In handing down the sentence, which is years more than other senior politicians have received for graft convictions in the past, the Tel Aviv District Court accepted the prosecution’s arguments in full and said Kirshenbaum’s conduct had been systematic and uniquely large-scale.

Kirshenbaum, a former deputy interior minister, was convicted in March of bribery, tax offenses, money laundering, fraud and breach of trust.

She is one of the main figures in a far-reaching corruption investigation into the Yisrael Beytenu party, which has been chaired by current Finance Minister Avigdor Liberman since he founded it in 1999. Liberman himself is not a suspect in the case.

Announcing the longest jail term ever imposed on a Knesset member, Judge Yaron Levy said Kirshenbaum had taken bribes in a “systematic, cunning and sophisticated” manner over six years from eight separate, unconnected sources, amounting to some NIS 2 million ($604,415), repeating comments he made when he announced the verdict. The benefits and cash were used by Kirshenbaum, members of her family, confidants and the Yisrael Beytenu party, he said.

This is certainly eyebrow raising on at least a few issues involving a political party that's since proven bad for the country. It's just a shame Liberman's not being investigated, because what if he too had any involvement?

Labels: Israel, Knesset, Moonbattery, political corruption