Jerusalem rabbinical court clerk accused of taking bribes

ed note–as we point out here regularly, Judaism is nothing more than racketeering with a religious twist, a system by which criminal activities that are religiously-mandated result in profits that flow upwards to the rabbis who can effectively be considered the Godfathers of it all, and that the start of the affair began in the Torah, to wit–

‘Now this shall be the priests’ due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, either an ox or a sheep, of which they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach…You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, your new wine, and your oil, and the first shearing of your sheep…For the LORD your God has chosen him and his sons from all your tribes, to stand and serve in the name of the LORD forever…’ –Deuteronomy 18:10

JTA

Police in Jerusalem arrested a rabbinical court clerk and his alleged partner on suspicion that they took bribes to interfere with rulings.

Moshe Sabag, a secretary of the registrar of the Rabbinical Court of Jerusalem, was arrested Wednesday and his remand was extended by another four days, the Israeli news site kikar.co.il reported.

Police also arrested another person, who was not named, who is suspected of acting as a middleman between Sabag, 30, and individuals allegedly seeking Sabag’s help with matters being reviewed by the court.

In Israel, rabbinical courts act as family courts for Jewish citizens and their judges, or dayanim, are delegated by the justice ministry to make binding rulings, including awarding damages, custody and issuing arrest warrants. They often detain individuals from leaving the country for the duration of legal proceedings.

Sabag’s lawyer, Elimelech Kurtzweil, said his client was innocent.

“The investigation is ongoing, and I don’t have the body of evidence and am therefore unable to respond to the meat of the allegations, yet I can already say that the claim regarding interference with proceedings is unfounded, and is denied outright,” Kikar.co.il quoted Kurtzweil as saying.

Yet according to the police, who arrested Sabag and his alleged partner at the end of a weeklong undercover sting operation, the two used to split cash payments that interested parties gave the alleged partner for services rendered.