MK Blumental Convicted of Bribing Likud Central C´tee Members

MK Blumental was accused of bribing 12 Likud activists by hosting them at Tel Aviv's Sheraton City Tower Hotel shortly before the 2002 Likud Primaries. Following the Tel Aviv Magistrates Court ruling, she now faces up to five years in prison.



Blumental did well in the 2002 Likud primaries, receiving the ninth spot on the party list. The prosecution claims she rented hotel rooms for influential Likud Central Committee members in order to induce them to mobilize their supporters to vote for her. She later became one of the so-called Likud rebels, who opposed Ariel Sharon's Disengagement Plan.



Blumenthal's former driver, Avi Oski, testified against Blumental at the trial. He said he had participated in a meeting with the MK and Likud Central Committee member Micha Elnekaveh, after which Blumental drove with Oski to a cash machine to withdraw 12,000 shekels. Oski said she then instructed him to pay for Elnekaveh's hotel bill, which consisted of fifteen rooms rented out by fellow Central Committee members.



Elnekaveh was convicted together with Blumental.



Blumental admitted giving Oski the money, but said he had asked for it, and denied initiating the renting of hotel rooms. She also denied being close enough to Oski for him to know such things. Oski said he saw Blumental as a "mother figure" until she attempted to shift the blame for the crimes solely onto him, after which he turned state's evidence and testified against her.



According to Oski, after the story appeared in the newspapers, Blumental called another meeting with him and Elnekaveh, in order to coordinate their stories in case a police investigation was launched.



Oski's version of events was accepted by the judges over Blumental's and Elnekaveh's. The judges wrote in their decision that Blumental's actions clearly sought to influence voters, and that Oski's testimony was the only one that was logical. "Blumental hid behind her right to remain silent, while removing all responsibility for her actions from herself and trying to hold others responsible," the verdict read.