JERUSALEM (AFP) — An Israeli court sentenced an ultra-Orthodox MP and former minister to 18 months in jail on Sunday on corruption and fraud charges which automatically suspend him from parliament.
MP Shlomo Benizri of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party was earlier this month found guilty of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of bribes while serving in several senior government posts, including as health minister, between 1996 and 2001.
The Jerusalem court sentenced Benizri, who is also a rabbi, to 18 months in prison and an 80,000 shekel (23,000 dollar) fine after state prosecutors demanded a much stiffer sentence.
Under Israeli law, an MP who is found guilty of severe offences is automatically suspended from parliament.
"Benizri committed a series of severe offences which are underscored by his position and status. He is a minister and a leader in Israel who has committed a sin," the judge said in his sentence.
Following the sentence, Benizri again pleaded his innocence and vowed to appeal against the sentence. He will remain at liberty until the appeal has been heard.
Benizri, 48, was said to have accepted money and favours from the owners of companies that brought foreign workers into Israel, and was also accused of appointing friends and business associates to prominent positions.
One of 11 members of the Shas parliamentary bloc, a crucial component of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's ruling coalition, Benizri is considered close to the party's spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yossef.
In February, Benizri sparked a media uproar when he blamed an earthquake in Israel on homosexuality, considered an abomination under Jewish law.
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