Officers of El Al, Bezeq, Hapoalim get 12 months for bribery
By Nurit Roth
The Tel Aviv District Court sentenced three senior El Al officers, Bezeq and Bank Hapoalim to 12 months in prison yesterday, after finding them guilty two months ago of accepting bribes. The officers are Shmuel Shimoni, who served as a head buyer for El Al's purchasing department; Benjamin Goldring, former chairman of Bezeq's workers union in the northern district and Avner Gilad, a member of the Bank Hapoalim's workers union and head of the union's purchasing committee. In addition, Shimoni and Goldring were fined NIS 25,000, and Gilad was fined NIS 75,000. Arieh Etzioni, manager of a company that marketed holiday employee gifts to large companies and which folded in 1997, was also sentenced to 18 months imprisonment and a fine of NIS 50,000 for offering bribes to the three.
An indictment on suspected receipt of bribes had also been filed in 2000 against the national chairman of the Israel Electric Company's workers union, Yoram Overkovitz, but legal proceedings were halted when Overkovitz passed away in the course of the trial.
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According to the indictment against Etzioni filed by the Tel Aviv Taxes District Attorney for taxes and economic issues, Etzioni was aware of the function and position of the accuseds, and as such gave them money and benefits to persuade them to promote the business interests of the company under his management. In one instance, Etzioni was found to have given Gilad an estimated NIS 100,000-150,000 to persuade him to tip the scales in favor of the company under Etzioni's management in the decision of where to purchase Passover gifts for Bank Hapoalim employees in 1997.
Etzioni also allowed Goldring to make private purchases at the Haifa outlet of Etzioni's stores without paying for the products, and gave Shimoni gifts, including a camera, cellular telephone, and a discount on his purchase of electrical appliances.
In reading the sentencing, the presiding Judge George noted he had found no reason to differentiate between the prison sentences of the various people involved in the affair, since the amount of the bribe should not serve as an indication of the gravity of the crime itself.
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