Former tax authority chief reaches plea deal with stat

Jackie Matza was charged with accepting a bribe, fraud, breach of faith and assistance in giving a bribe.

By DAN IZENBERG
jackie matza 311 (photo credit: courtesy)
jackie matza 311
(photo credit: courtesy)
Former Tax Authority director Jackie Matza, who is currently on trial in Central District Court in Petah Tikva, reached a plea bargain with the prosecution, a Justice Ministry spokesman said on Saturday night.
The spokesman said the agreement would be presented in Petah Tikva District Court on Sunday, but added that he did not have any details about it.
Matza is on trial with six others defendants including Kobi Ben-Gur and Yoram Karshi, the brother of Shula Zaken, who is standing trial in Jerusalem District Court for her alleged involvement in the affair.
Matza was charged with accepting a bribe, eight counts of fraud and breach of faith and one count of assistance in giving a bribe, according to the indictment.
On December 12, 2005, Matza was appointed director of the Tax Authority by the government upon the recommendation of then-finance minister Ehud Olmert.
During the race for the post, Matza asked for assistance from Kobi Ben-Gur, a friend of the outgoing director, Eitan Rob, while Karshi arranged a meeting for Matza with Zaken, who was Olmert’s bureau chief.
Matza was convinced that the three were responsible for his appointment to the post and, as a result, went along with a long series of inappropriate appointments that Ben-Gur and Karshi forced on him.
On January 2, 2007, the police and the state prosecution revealed that they been carrying out an undercover investigation of a number of Tax Authority officials and private businessmen. On the same day, it was reported that Matza was one of the suspects.
He and the other suspects in the case were indicted on July 9, 2009, and the trial has underway for more than a year.