Will Aryeh Deri be charged after the elections? The Tel Aviv District Attorney's Office has recently decided to file an indictment against Minister Aryeh Deri on suspicion of several cases of tax fraud, Kan 11 News reported on Saturday night.
According to the report by journalist Mordechai Gilat, the State Prosecutor's Office has asked that the process be sped up and that a final decision be made in the case even before the elections, but the work on the prime minister's investigations led to the decision on Deri being postponed until after the elections.
It was also reported that the indictment will be submitted subject to a hearing, immediately after the elections.
It seems that, for the time being, the main dilemma is whether to file a serious but relatively minor indictment or to file a larger indictment that will require completion of an investigation.
In November, investigators said they had formed the basis for an indictment against Deri on charges of fraud, breach of trust, tax violations involving millions of shekels, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and having provided a false statement to the State Comptroller.
Police revealed the probe in March 2016, and it was subsequently upgraded to a full criminal investigation.
Deri, who served as Interior Minister in the 1990s, was forced to resign from his position in 1993 amid charges of bribery. He was later convicted and sentenced to three years in prison in 1999 on corruption and obstruction of justice charges.
After serving 22 months in prison, Deri was released early in 2002 for good behavior, but was barred from returning to politics for seven years.
In 2013, Deri was elected to the Knesset on the Shas list, and was reappointed party chairman.