Police To Question Litzman Again; Alleged He Worked To Prevent Extradition Of Suspect To Australia
Editor’s Note: Some stories are simply very painful for YWN to report, but to ignore them are irresponsible and wrong. This story, as painful as it is to publish, has been the leading story in the Israeli news for the past few days – including on the leading Chareidi websites. The ramifications of the story can have have serious effects on the upcoming elections, as well as on many Mosdos Hatorah. It would be irresponsible on many levels to turn a blind eye to this story.
We therefore publish the following with a heavy heart:
Police investigators believe that their findings indicate that Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman is suspected of preventing the extradition of a woman wanted for 74 serious offenses in Australia.
A senior police official said that Litzman is suspected of obstruction of justice by his personal involvement in having a psychiatric opinion written for the woman that influenced the court’s decision to cancel the extradition process.
The Deputy Minister of Health was questioned on Thursday ‘under warning’ in Lahav 433 of the Major Crimes Unit. The investigation was carried out following a covert investigation that began several months ago.
Litzman’s media advisor said he was being investigated in connection with a public appeal for help. “Litzman gave his full version and answered all the questions as required, and Litzman is confident that he did not break the law and will continue to assist any request that comes to his office, subject to the law and existing procedure.”
The investigation is being conducted with the assistance of the Jerusalem District Attorney and with the approval of the State Attorney and the Attorney General.
On Sunday afternoon it was revealed that Litzman will be interrogated once again this week “for threatening ministry staffers”. The interrogation will be taking place in Lahav 433, an Israeli crime-fighting umbrella organization within the Israel Police. The unit is known as the “Israeli FBI”, and merged five law enforcement offices into one.
Litzman allegedly threatened staffers that he would block their promotions in the Ministry and within the Israeli government system should they refuse his request.
Additional high ranking officials, as well as Litzman’s personal secretary, still have yet to be questioned. Litzman’s chief advisor and secretary were both charged with a restraining order preventing them from going to or near the Ministry for five days, and enforcing house arrest until tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the woman was brought to an additional hearing in front of Justice Hanna Lompf at the Jerusalem Magisterial Court on Monday.
Judge Ram Winograd, before rejecting the request for her release under restrictive conditions, suggested to attorneys Yehuda Fried and Tal Gabbai, who represented the suspect, to send her to another psychiatric evaluation, but they rejected the proposal.
In addition to the family and lawyers, Rabbi Menahem Mendel Shafran was present in the courtroom, who offered to oversee her spiritual care if she was released to house arrest, but the proposal was not accepted.
Attorney Yehuda Fried told BeChadrei Chareidim that the defense team was preparing to appeal to the Supreme Court in order to have her released.
According to the Times of Israel, her family has hired the services of a public relations firm, Tzur Rosenbaum Communications, towards developing a campaign on preventing her extradition, quoting an article appearing last week in Yediot Achronot, which exposes the campaign that will depict the suspect as a 51-year-old grandmother and they will claim that Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, who will have to sign an extradition order, has close ties to Australian authorities who are tenaciously working to prosecute her.
The effort will surround obtaining official opinion papers from psychiatrists that she is unfit to stand trial.
The Times of Israel report quotes Shaked’s office responding, stating it will not be deterred by a PR campaign and the minister will not “surrender to threats”.
On Sunday, Litzman publicly addressed the case for a first time, saying, “I can tell you that my whole subject is just a public inquiry about people I do not know. “I never knew, and I did not know what it was about. I assisted and tried to help without getting into the details of the matter.”
Litzman told the participants that he had been asked if those who had asked for help were Gerrer Chassidim, but he had said no. He said the investigators were impressed by the fact that he had no prior knowledge of the subject of the assistance, and he shared with them that 80 percent of the applications he received were people he did not know. “We have to continue this and help everyone,” said the deputy health minister.
Litzman was suspected of using similar tactics in 2013, when allegedly he attempted to influence various people within the field of medicine to act against their moral positions. According to sources close to Litzman, the authorities quickly recognized that what Litzman did during that time was not against the law and the file was dropped.
LIKE I WRITE THE WHOLE OF ISRAEL IS LIKE THIS FRUM PEOPLE, NOT FRUM ,
Editor’s Note: Some stories are simply very painful for YWN to report, but to ignore them are irresponsible and wrong. This story, as painful as it is to publish, has been the leading story in the Israeli news for the past few days – including on the leading Chareidi websites. The ramifications of the story can have have serious effects on the upcoming elections, as well as on many Mosdos Hatorah. It would be irresponsible on many levels to turn a blind eye to this story.
We therefore publish the following with a heavy heart:
Police investigators believe that their findings indicate that Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman is suspected of preventing the extradition of a woman wanted for 74 serious offenses in Australia.
A senior police official said that Litzman is suspected of obstruction of justice by his personal involvement in having a psychiatric opinion written for the woman that influenced the court’s decision to cancel the extradition process.
The Deputy Minister of Health was questioned on Thursday ‘under warning’ in Lahav 433 of the Major Crimes Unit. The investigation was carried out following a covert investigation that began several months ago.
Litzman’s media advisor said he was being investigated in connection with a public appeal for help. “Litzman gave his full version and answered all the questions as required, and Litzman is confident that he did not break the law and will continue to assist any request that comes to his office, subject to the law and existing procedure.”
The investigation is being conducted with the assistance of the Jerusalem District Attorney and with the approval of the State Attorney and the Attorney General.
On Sunday afternoon it was revealed that Litzman will be interrogated once again this week “for threatening ministry staffers”. The interrogation will be taking place in Lahav 433, an Israeli crime-fighting umbrella organization within the Israel Police. The unit is known as the “Israeli FBI”, and merged five law enforcement offices into one.
Litzman allegedly threatened staffers that he would block their promotions in the Ministry and within the Israeli government system should they refuse his request.
Additional high ranking officials, as well as Litzman’s personal secretary, still have yet to be questioned. Litzman’s chief advisor and secretary were both charged with a restraining order preventing them from going to or near the Ministry for five days, and enforcing house arrest until tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the woman was brought to an additional hearing in front of Justice Hanna Lompf at the Jerusalem Magisterial Court on Monday.
Judge Ram Winograd, before rejecting the request for her release under restrictive conditions, suggested to attorneys Yehuda Fried and Tal Gabbai, who represented the suspect, to send her to another psychiatric evaluation, but they rejected the proposal.
In addition to the family and lawyers, Rabbi Menahem Mendel Shafran was present in the courtroom, who offered to oversee her spiritual care if she was released to house arrest, but the proposal was not accepted.
Attorney Yehuda Fried told BeChadrei Chareidim that the defense team was preparing to appeal to the Supreme Court in order to have her released.
According to the Times of Israel, her family has hired the services of a public relations firm, Tzur Rosenbaum Communications, towards developing a campaign on preventing her extradition, quoting an article appearing last week in Yediot Achronot, which exposes the campaign that will depict the suspect as a 51-year-old grandmother and they will claim that Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, who will have to sign an extradition order, has close ties to Australian authorities who are tenaciously working to prosecute her.
The effort will surround obtaining official opinion papers from psychiatrists that she is unfit to stand trial.
The Times of Israel report quotes Shaked’s office responding, stating it will not be deterred by a PR campaign and the minister will not “surrender to threats”.
On Sunday, Litzman publicly addressed the case for a first time, saying, “I can tell you that my whole subject is just a public inquiry about people I do not know. “I never knew, and I did not know what it was about. I assisted and tried to help without getting into the details of the matter.”
Litzman told the participants that he had been asked if those who had asked for help were Gerrer Chassidim, but he had said no. He said the investigators were impressed by the fact that he had no prior knowledge of the subject of the assistance, and he shared with them that 80 percent of the applications he received were people he did not know. “We have to continue this and help everyone,” said the deputy health minister.
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