Investigation into violation of public trust closed for lack of evidence.
By REBECCA ANNA STOILborovsky 298.88(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Ya'akov Borovsky, head of the anti-corruption unit of the State Comptroller's Office, was absolved Tuesday of corruption-related charges leveled against him by a Likud operative.
After a three-month investigation, State Prosecutor Eran Shendar's office announced that the two files against Borovsky would be closed without criminal charges.
Analysis: Who gained from tainting Borovsky's image?
A joint investigative team from the police and the Justice Department has been researching allegations he offered bribes and violated the public trust. The veteran police commander will not have to stand trial on either charge; the investigation into violation of public trust was closed for lack of sufficient evidence, and the investigation into bribery was closed for lack of fault.
While the team's finding of lack of fault is considered to be as close to a full absolution as possible, the finding of lack of sufficient evidence does not necessarily imply innocence, but rather, proves that the District Attorney's Office could not gather sufficient evidence to support an indictment.
In late October, Likud Central Committee member Solomon Karubi, a former confidant of Omri Sharon, claimed that Borovsky contacted him to bribe Sharon into interceding with his father, then-prime minister Ariel Sharon, to support Borovsky's candidacy for the post of police inspector general. Omri Sharon confirmed Karubi's account of the events.
At the time, Borovsky was the head of the police's Northern Command and a candidate to become the next chief of police.
Karoubi's complaint has been investigated by a National Fraud Squad team led by Dep.-Cmdr. Eran Kamin, including investigators from the Justice Department's Police Investigative Department (PID).
An investigation into counter-allegations made by Borovsky that Karubi lied when he claimed Borovsky had tried to use him as a go-between was also closed Tuesday, due to a lack of public interest in prosecuting the case.
Borovsky and Karubi were both questioned at length by police officers in the course of the investigation, as were Omri Sharon, attorney Alon Siso and Israel Police's Lt.-Cmdr. David Siso.
Siso, who was accused by Karubi of acting as Borovsky's go-between during a meeting with Karubi, seems to be the only figure in the case who may receive a reprimand; the case filed against him was transferred to the police's Disciplinary Division.
Borovsky, who continues to claim he is innocent, took a voluntary leave of absence from his role at the State Comptroller's Office following his questioning. He has consistently claimed that the allegations against him were instigated by his many enemies, who, he claimed, had found themselves squirming between the crosshairs of one of the corruption probes that he directed through the State Comptroller's Office.
Borovsky has ruffled feathers in his probes of various political officials, as well as invoking the wrath of Police Chief Moshe Karadi when Borovsky was quoted in a letter to the Zeiler Commission claiming that campaign donations to the Likud Party - channeled through Omri Sharon - had bought about Karadi's appointment.
Despite personal problems with Karadi, Borovsky said he did not believe that the police organization was part of the conspiracy against him, asserting they had become an unwitting tool of his enemies.
After the scandal broke, Karadi said that due to "special circumstances" surrounding the "sensitive" investigation, he had decided not to receive updates as to the progress of the investigation or any details until the police complete the probe.
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