The head of the Shas Council of Torah Sages, Rabbi Shalom Cohen, spoke on Tuesday evening with Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, following the police’s recommendation that he be indicted.
According to a statement by the Shas party, Rabbi Cohen told Deri that he was being wrongly persecuted. "The greater the success of the Shas movement, the more the persecutors of Torah try to hurt. Do not be afraid, for the Lord your God is with you," said Rabbi Cohen.
In an announcement Tuesday morning, 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.
The police recommendation to indict Minister Deri comes after an in-depth investigation of the Shas chief and his brother, Shlomo Deri, along with other suspects in the case.
The preliminary probe was first opened in late 2015, following suspicious bank activity in accounts tied to Deri and several family members.
Police revealed the probe in March 2016, and it was subsequently upgraded to a full criminal investigation.