A senior Israeli politician is being investigated over explosive allegations he interfered in the extradition of a former Australian school principal accused of sexually abusing her students at a Jewish Orthodox school in Melbourne.
Israeli Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman was interviewed by police on Thursday over allegations he intervened in an expert medical opinion in a bid to have Malka Leifer officially declared mentally unfit to stand at her extradition trial, Israeli media reported yesterday.
Mr Litzman is chairman of the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party and The Times of Israel reported he had been questioned by police and said the interrogation was the result of a long-running secret investigation.
His office released a statement denying all wrongdoing. “Minister Deputy Litzman is sure and convinced his hands are clean and will continue to assist any request that will arrive to his office subject to the law and standard procedure.”
Ms Leifer was principal of the Adass Israel School in Elsternwick in Melbourne’s southeast and was accused of sexually abusing female students in 2008.
Ms Leifer, an Israeli-Australian dual national, fled for Israel the night complaints were lodged against her, assisted by some members of the school community. She faces 74 counts of sexual abuse and has been fighting her extradition for years.
Read the article by Remy Varga in The Australian.