Upheaval in Chief Rabbinate: Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger under house arrest • three other detainees

Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, who was interrogated for ten hours today at the offices of Lahav unit 443 Fraud Squad, was released under house arrest for a full five days, the exclusion from the office for fifteen days, the prohibition to leave the country, on contacting those involved and stabilization of investigation when summoned and financial conditions.

Fraud Squad 433 Lahav unit conducted an undercover investigation which was of interest to suspicion of bribery, fraud and money laundering by a number of suspects, including Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger.

Today, after the approval of the Attorney General and the State Prosecutor the investigation has been made public and searches were held in the homes and offices of the suspects, including the home and office of Rabbi Metzger.

Documents, computers and other materials were confiscated and real estate properties, property and bank accounts of the suspects were seized.



As part of the investigation Metzger is at the Lahav 433 offices fraud squad and was questioned under caution on suspicion of accepting hundreds of thousands of shekels in donations for various organizations, bribery, theft by unauthorized, fraud and breach of trust and violations of the Anti-Money Laundering Law.

News of the allegations against Metzger fell like a thunderbolt on his family and associates. At this stage, the family refused to comment on the suspicions against the rabbi, and some turned off their phones since the afternoon.

One employee from the rabbinate told B'Chadrei Charedim: "We only can hope that everything will end with nothing."

Investigation revealed so far, that the suspect Metzger was making large sums of money from donations capped for various associations. According to the suspicions, the money made their way to private accounts of the rabbi and his associates.

The arrest of three suspects extended

This morning unit police raided the Soup Kitchen on Rabbi Akiva Street in Bnei Brak, where Simcha Krakowski CEO was questioned. Later he was detained and taken to the offices of the National Fraud Unit in Lod. He was brought to court remand on suspicion of money laundering and bribery. His detention was extended by five days until next Tuesday - the 25th.

Rebbe of Lelov – whom the CEO is one of his chassidim – was at an event of bringing his grandson into the Talmud Torah. When he learned of the investigation, he was shocked by the incident.

Another detainee, Nissan Ben-Zion Zioni, director of the Beis Midrash and training of rabbis and rabbinical judges in Tel Aviv and director of Zeddaka U'Mishpat, and serves as Rosh Kollel of Rabbi Metzger in Tel Aviv, was asked by reporters upon arrival in his remand hearing to respond to his arrest - and in response spoke to the journalists about the Parsha on modesty and respect. His detention was extended until next Wednesday, the 26th.

Decision regarding Krakowski and Zioni the judge wrote: "However considering the scope of the acts attributed to the suspects, the depth of involvement and intensity of the evidentiary basis against them - and especially the police statement that will formulate a position regarding those involved in other after the interrogation continued even during the debate - I found that avoidance is to justify, at this point, the release of the suspects."

Police arrested Chaim Nissan Eisenstadt, driver and personal assistant to the chief rabbi, and he is suspected of accepting bribes, fraud, and breach of trust and money laundering. His detention was extended until the 27th - next Thursday.

The judge ruled on the matter: "From the investigation is raised reasonable suspicion, suggesting the central role of Eisenstadt and his deep involvement in the forbidden task of accepting money, which can tie up at the required level at this point and beyond, to acts attributed to Eisenstadt."

According to police, dozens of people will be investigated, some of whom are now staying in Israel.

Lawyers of the Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, Professor David Libai and attorney Elad Rath said in response, "Chief Rabbi today was summoned for questioning, stabilized and interrogated for several hours. Rabbi Metzger answered all the questions and he denies the allegations against him. "

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!