Jewish French tycoon with ties to Netanyahu 'accused of bribing prison guards'
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haaretz.com
French
police suspect two Jewish French nationals, one of whom with ties to
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, of bribing prison guards in exchange
for special treatment for themselves and a group of other Jewish
inmates, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported Tuesday.
One of the men, Arnaud Mimran, was convicted in 2016 in a massive carbon-tax fraud. In the course of the investigation, Mimran claimed he donated $200,000
to Netanyahu for the prime minister’s 2009 election campaign.
Netanyahu, however, said the only money he ever received from the French
businessman was a $40,000 donation in 2001.
Mimran and the other French national, Eric Robic,
are among seven men reportedly suspected in the bribery affair,
including three guards, an outside liaison and the prison rabbi. Police
found cellphones and large quantities of cash in the cell shared by
Mimran and Robic. A search of the other suspects' homes revealed a stash
of thousands of euros.
The
investigation began a year ago, the report says, when the prison's
complaints commissioner received a claim that Jewish inmates had better
living conditions. The probe led to a prison wing commander and two
guards who allegedly accepted money in exchange for bestowing benefits
upon several Jewish prisoners. Among the graces given by the guards were
cellphones and expediting hearings before parole boards.
The last suspect is the rabbi of the Paris
metropolitan area, who also acts as the prison rabbi. He is accused of
acting as the “mule” who transfered the funds from the inmates to the
guards. According to the Yedioth report, the money was laundered through
a Jewish cultural foundation.
Eric Robic is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence in Fresnes related to the death of 25-year-old Israeli Lee Zeitouni.
In September 2011, while on vacation in Tel Aviv, Robic accidently hit
and killed Zeitouni with his car. He drove on, and by the time the
vehicle was found, he had fled back to France. In 2013 he was indicted
for manslaughter, as well as failure to render assistance and fleeing
the scene of an accident.
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