Former minister Avraham Hirschson
Former minister Avraham HirschsonIsrael news photo: (file)

Former Finance Minister Avraham Hirschson was sentenced Wednesday to five years and five months in prison for a variety of crimes, including theft, deceit, breach of trust and money laundering. Hirschson was convicted of stealing 2.3 million shekels from the Histadrut National Labor Federation.

The former Kadima minister was also ordered to pay a 450,000 shekel ($113,000) fine.

Justice Bracha Ofir-Tom of the Tel Aviv District Court said Hirschson understood the severity of his actions. “It is inconceivable that he did not understand that taking that money was not only against the law, but contradicted the most basic principles of good management,” she wrote.

State prosecutors had asked the court to sentence Hirschson to at least seven years in prison, a harsher sentence than those requested for his accomplices. Hirschson should face a more severe punishment than others because “they took their power from him – he was the ringleader,” attorneys said.

On Tuesday, Hirschson returned 570,000 shekels of the funds he had stolen to the Histadrut. Histadrut officials said they welcomed the money as a first step towards full repayment.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Supreme Court sentenced former minister Shlomo Ben-Yizri to four years in prison for taking bribes in exchange for political favors. Ben-Yizri was also sentenced to pay a 250,000 shekel fine.