Estreicher Case: judge who arrested also suspect of blackmail

Six top Bolivian government officials were arrested on suspicion of attempted blackmail of the Hareidi prisoner Yaakov Estreicher from Boro Park, who has been imprisoned in Bolivia for a year and a half without trial.

Among those detained are the judge who arrested him, a year and a half ago.

Last Sunday, Bolivian authorities launched a wave of arrests of government officials associated with the case.

The central detainee is a senior minister in the state, suspected of selling dozens of tons of rice which were in Estreicher's warehouses, and were confiscated by the authorities.

Allegedly the minister blackmailed Estreicher while promising to work for his release from prison.

State prosecutor updated Estreicher about the arrest and revealed that in the coming days there will be more arrests. He claimed that 11 officials are suspected of violating the authority in the case and trial of Estreicher.

Therefore rumors have spread that his release is close, but this is not so.

"The news about the release of our father are not correct, we are watching anxiously and tensely the events in Bolivia with our father, we have not received any news about the release of our father. Arrests by the police this week indicate a shift occurred in the matter. We are praying and hoping for his release," the family said.

Yoel Lavin, chairman of the Dror organization for redemption of prisoners, also says that things are really start to move, but this is early joy. "Activists involved in the case are doing all they can to make things happen," notes Lavin.

A senior public figure involved in the case said that the lawyers made references from banks in Switzerland, proving that money with which Estreicher purchased the rice is legal money, thus purifying him of charges of money laundering.

Bolivian authorities have been trying for 18 months to formulate charges against Estreicher - but so far without success.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!