Secretary of the Council of Sages was convicted of construction offense

Secretary of the Council of Torah Sages of Shas convicted: Bnei Brak Court convicted Rabbi Raphael Pinchasi for the offense of use without a permit from the Planning and Building Act.

Conviction based on the Pinchasi's confession that he made use of the apartment although built illegally. Under a plea bargain it was agreed that the penalty imposed on him will be a fine.

Pinchasi requested to settle this penalty but not convict him, for fear that such a conviction would prevent him to be appointed to senior posts in the future, but the court did not accept the request and made it clear that despite his status "blood of the accused is not thicker than blood of the other defendants."

The fear that such convictions will cause him a future barrier the judge wrote: "There is therefore no evidence that the ability to convince that the defendant may actually be damaged as a result of conviction, and certainly no evidence that might be unreasonable ratio between the expected damage from that conviction and the severity of the offense."

Pinchasi is founder of the Shas Party and served as a Knesset Member. The present conviction is not his first conviction. He was convicted in תשנ"ז by the Magistrates Court for the illegal transfer of funds and sentenced him to 12 months probation.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!