Hirchson case: Senior labor federation official gets 56 months in jail
Former head of NLF financial division gets reduced sentence on embezzlement, fraud and money laundering charges in exchange for testimony against former Finance Minister
The Tel Aviv District Court sentenced Ovadia Cohen, former head of the financial division of the National Labor Federation (NLF), to four years and eight months in prison on Sunday for his part in the Hirchson fraud case.
Cohen pled guilty to embezzlement, fraudulent documentation and money laundering as part of a plea bargain with the State Prosecutor's Office. He is expected to testify against former Finance Minister Abraham Hirchson.
Cohen was convicted of embezzling nearly NIS 10 million (about $2.6 million) from the NLF during his tenure as the head of the organization's financial division prior to 2003.
During this same period, Cohen also served as the chairman of the NILI foundation, an organization responsible for running NLF-affiliated kindergartens and daycare centers.
According to the indictment, Cohen helped Hirchson defraud the foundation and the federation of some NIS 4 million (approximately $1 million) over the course of five years (1998-2003).
Judge David Rosen, who accepted the plea bargain, wrote that "Cohen took millions from a public fund, using his access and expertise to steal and defraud. His perfidy is evident from afar and his deeds need to lead him to prison for a long time."
