Yisrael Beytenu scandal brings Treasury pledge of transparency
The Finance Ministry is adopting a new set of rules.
By NIV ELISAttorney-General Yehuda Weinstein(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
The Finance Ministry is adopting a new set of rules on the use of so-called coalition funds ahead of the election, in a response to allegations of corruption involving Yisrael Beytenu figures.The new rules, which were decided in cooperation with Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein and are set to be in place ahead of the next government coalition, require more specificity on how such funds are used.When coalition agreements are signed, special funds are set aside for use by parties in the coalition. In December, police rounded up dozens of politicians and aides including then-deputy interior minister Faina Kirschenbaum (Yisrael Beytenu) on corruption allegations.Police allege that Kirschenbaum and others misappropriated their coalition funds, secretly funneling them to friends or allies in exchange for bribes and kickbacks.The new rules demand greater specificity for where the funds are going, and increase overall transparency in the way they are disbursed.The ministry believes that such rules help prevent the kind of corruption Kirschenbaum allegedly took part in, which is being referred to as one of the biggest corruption cases in the history of the state.Kirschenbaum resigned from political life earlier this year.
