A top Israeli lawyer was arrested on Wednesday as part of a police probe into allegations that judicial appointments were given in exchange for sexual favors.
(AP)
A top Israeli lawyer was arrested on Wednesday as part of a police investigation into allegations that judicial appointments were given in exchange for sexual favors.
Israel Bar Association Chairman Effi Nave was named late Wednesday as the main suspect. The name of the lawyer wasn’t initially released due to a gag order covering most details of the arrest and the case.
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Last month, Nave was indicted on suspicion that he smuggled a woman out of Israel for a trip abroad and then tried to secretly slip her back through border control, the Times of Israel reported. He was indicted on charges of jointly gaining illegal exit and entry to the country as well as jointly taking a bribe.
Authorities said the arrest on Wednesday was related to the appointment of a female magistrates’ court judge and an effort to promote a male judge to a district court.lukas
The home of the lawyer, as well as the offices of the Israel Bar Association, were also raided as part of the investigation.
The suspect allegedly nominated a female judge several years ago in exchange for sex. He also allegedly had sexual relations with the wife of another judge in a bid to help her husband get a promotion within the court system, the Times of Israel reported. The alleged sexual encounter did not lead to promotion.
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The investigation into sex-for-judgeships allegations started two weeks ago, with Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit reportedly recusing himself from the case because the main suspect is his friend.
Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut are also likely to be summoned to give testimony.
In addition to the main suspect, one female magistrates’ court judge and a female lawyer were also previously questioned about the allegations, the BBC reported.
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Hayut and Shaked said in a statement that there have been rumors about the case but they “feel confident that the law enforcement system will complete the investigation and reach the truth,” according to Haaretz.
The statement noted that Shaked has screened the appointment of 334 judges with a professional selection process.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.