Israel: NGO works to disqualify Arye Deri from minister position due to bribery conviction

June 25th, 2015 Global News, Middle East

(Photo: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

In its second petition to the High Court of Justice to disqualify Shas party leader Arye Deri from his post as economy minister because of his past bribery conviction, an NGO on Tuesday asked in exasperation how it could be that sexual criminals cannot return as ministers, but those taking bribes can.

Movement for Quality Government in Israel founder Eliad Shraga told the High Court that allowing Deri to be a minister sends the message that there’s “no problem, you’re in the gang,” to someone who took bribes, and added that no one would consider letting someone who committed a sexual crime return as a minister, and the same should be done with someone convicted of taking bribes.

Despite Shraga’s appeal to the court, in which he noted that Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein himself called the appointment problematic, Justices Esther Hayut, Hanan Melcer and Uzi Vogelman appeared unmoved. The court has not yet come to a verdict.

The original article can be found at www.jpost.com