Former minister admits to corruption charges in plea bargain
Former tourism minister and Yisrael Beytenu MK Stas Meseznikov was indicted on Tuesday in the Tel Aviv magistrate’s court and agreed to a plea bargain in which he admitted to fraud and breach of trust.
Under the terms of the plea bargain, the State Attorney’s Office will request a 15-month prison sentence and a NIS 70,000 fine for his crimes.
According to the indictment, Meseznikov had a severe conflict of interests when he gave approximately NIS 1 million in financial support to the Eilat student festival in 2010 while at the same time recommending that an individual named Yuliah Roth, with whom he was in an intimate personal relationship, be employed by the festival.
Meseznikov failed to disclose his relationship with the individual to the Tourism Ministry, or that she had been employed by the festival organizers on his recommendation.
“Meseznikov exploited his senior public office and his elevated status in order to arrange a monetary income for Roth, thereby committing actions involving a breach of trust and harming the public,” said the indictment.
In August this year, ten other individuals connected to what has become known as the Yisrael Beytenu corruption scandal were indicted for various offenses, including former deputy minister Faina Kirschenbaum who was charged with bribery, fraud, breach of trust, money laundering and tax offenses.