Weinstein seeks 3-judge panel for Liberman case
01/02/2013 02:57
A-G cites public importance as reason for request, despite the fact the crimes the former FM is accused of are not serious enough.
Liberman at Knesset Photo: Marc Israel Sellem
Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein requested on Tuesday that the Jerusalem
District Court president order a panel of three judges to hear the
breach-of-trust and fraud case against Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor
Liberman.
The case, known as the Belarus Ambassador Affair, involves
allegations that the Yisrael Beytenu chairman failed to report former ambassador
to Belarus Ze’ev Ben-Aryeh for leaking information to him regarding a
money-laundering investigation against Liberman, and that he helped Ben- Aryeh
gain promotions in the Foreign Ministry in return.
Liberman denies the
allegations.
The crimes of which Liberman is accused are not serious
enough to require a three-judge panel, as more serious crimes like rape and
murder do. However, Weinstein said that due to the public importance of the
case, which could determine the political fate of the now ex-foreign minister and
possible candidate for prime minister in some future election, the court should
exercise its discretion in ordering an enlarged panel of three judges.
In
recent corruption cases against former prime minister Ehud Olmert, one case in
Jerusalem had three judges, while one case in Tel Aviv has had only one judge
presiding.