Ex-Prison Service Officer Convicted of Bribery
Translated & summarized from Bizportal by baba
Arkady Shchubitzky, a former Israel Prison Service construction officer, was convicted of accepting NIS 500,000 in bribes and other offenses including money laundering. His wife was convicted of income concealment. Shchubitzky denied the charges, claiming the case was fabricated, but the judge rejected his defense. This is the final conviction in the "Money Cage" corruption case.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Former IPS construction officer Arkady Shchubitzky was convicted of accepting NIS 500,000 in bribes.
- He was also found guilty of theft by a public servant, money laundering, and income concealment.
- His wife, Natalia Shchubitzky, was convicted of concealing over NIS 120,000 in income.
- Shchubitzky influenced contractor payments and dictated subcontractor choices and pricing.
- The judge rejected his claim that the case was fabricated by IPS officials.
- This is the final conviction in the "Money Cage" corruption case.
Arkady Shchubitzky, a former construction officer for the Israel Prison Service (IPS) in the Central District, has been convicted of accepting NIS 500,000 in bribes from contractors he supervised. Central District Court Judge Michal Brunt also found Shchubitzky guilty of theft by a public servant, money laundering, and income concealment. His then-wife, Natalia Shchubitzky, was convicted of concealing over NIS 120,000 in income.
Shchubitzky was acquitted of accepting NIS 70,000 in bribes. According to the indictment, he influenced the payment amounts to the main contractor, thereby affecting the profit the contractor would receive from projects subcontracted to others. The contractors were dependent on Shchubitzky, who oversaw their work, approved payments, assisted in supervising their subcontractors, and could create significant obstacles for them.
He dictated the identity of subcontractors to the main contractors, effectively choosing who would perform work for the IPS. He also sometimes dictated inflated pricing for work to both main and subcontractors, not reflecting the true cost, to generate additional profits for them and himself. Shchubitzky denied all charges, claiming the case was fabricated by IPS officials seeking revenge for his exposure of their misconduct.
Judge Brunt rejected his defense, stating that the investigation began due to separate inquiries from three unrelated individuals. She noted that the evidence, including extensive wiretaps, suggested Shchubitzky's conviction would also implicate many witnesses, making a fabricated case unlikely. The couple was also convicted of concealing income from a hotel they operated and an apartment they rented.
This conviction marks the final ruling in the "Money Cage" case, following earlier guilty pleas and convictions of Doron Taborinsky, Assaf Kraus, Benjamin Biton, Aharon Shaked, Shlomo Hatukha, Reuven Gonen, and Bani Bazov. The prosecution was represented by attorney Eliran Ashkenazi, and Shchubitzky by attorney Uriel Nazri.
Mentioned
