Court Approves Misezhnikov Plea Bargain; Former Tourism Minister to Serve 15 Months

Jerusalem, 21 November, 2017 (TPS) -- Former Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov will serve a 15 month prison sentence after the Tel Aviv Magistrates Court approved a plea bargain Tuesday with regard to charges of fraud and breach of trust.

Misezhnikov admitted that while he was serving as Tourism Minister, he transferred NIS 2 million from his ministry to a festival for university students in Eilat but conditioned the ministry’s support on the hiring of a woman with whom he was engaged in what the court called a “close relationship’ to be an executive producer, earning her roughly NIS 100,000.  

The indictment stated that Misezhnikov, 48, who served as tourism minister from 2009-2013, personally pushed for the arrangement, ignoring norms of conduct for government contracts.

“I take full responsibility for my mistaken judgement,” Misezhnikov told the court. “My actions resulted from my lack of experience. I was a new minister and wanted the project to succeed. I am far from being corrupt.”  

Justice Tzachi Uziel said there was no doubt that the offense for which Misezhnikov was convicted is government corruption at its worst. “The most senior official at the tourism ministry used his power to act in gross conflict of interest in order to promote the financial interests of a woman with whom he was engaged in a close and intimate relationship,” he said.

Charges of using parliamentary to acquire cocaine for him were dropped.

In a separate case, 15 high ranking officials from the Yisrael Beiteinu Party, which Misezhnikov belonged to, are awaiting trial on various charges relating to kickbacks received in exchange for the award of various local authority and NGO tenders.