Court commutes restaurant owner's conviction
Court commutes restaurant owner's convictionSpokesman

Judge Oded Moreno of the Netanya Magistrate's Court commuted the conviction of Aviv Hayon, otherwise known as "Israel's Couscous King", for planning and construction offenses. This, because he has no criminal record and is in the process of expanding his business in the European Union "in order to sell his wares in which he specializes."

Hayon, owner of the Dalia Couscous restaurant in Tel Mond, was accused of building a 32 square meter addition to his restaurant and also building a thinly-made platform of the same size. The owner of the land on which the restaurant sits was also accused in the building.

The defense counsel for all the defendants, Adv. Dr. Nissan Sharifi, reached a plea agreement that was also referred to by the plaintiff in the case, Adv. Naomi Sivan, as a plea agreement in which the plaintiff "very much came towards the defendants."

As part of the settlement, a fine of only NIS 5,000 was imposed on the landowners, while with regard to Hayun, Dr. Sharifi asked not to convict him since he "intends to open a branch in several European countries and also a branch in New York." The plaintiff vehemently objected to Hayun's non-conviction, as "this is not an exceptional case."

Judge Moreno accepted Dr. Sharifi's request despite the plaintiff's objection, stating that the "King of Couscous," who seeks to "disseminate the Gospel of the Couscous in which he specializes," will not be convicted by law and will only contribute a total of NIS 15,000 to 'Emunah Sabah Elazraki', a children's home named after Tzaba Elazarki, a recognized institution for children at risk.