Disgraced former finance minister granted parole, to be released from prison in January

Former finance minister Avraham Hirschson is set to be released from prison next month, almost two years early, after the Israel Prison Service Parole Board granted his motion for early release due to good behavior.

Hirschson was convicted of a string of crimes in 2009 and sentenced to five-and-a-half years behind bars along with a NIS 450,000 fine.

“[Hirschson] is a very well-behaved prisoner and a suitable candidate for early release according to all the parameters set by the law,” said Hirschson’s attorney, Rotem Tubul.

Hirschson was investigated by Israeli police in 2007 amid suspicions of fraud and theft while he was serving as the chairman of the National Labor Federation, and was eventually accused of embezzling close to NIS 2 million (more than $500,000). Although he denied the allegations, Hirschson suspended himself from his post as finance minister during the investigation and ultimately resigned from office three months later.

In 2008, then-attorney general Menahem Mazuz announced that Hirschson would be indicted for a number of crimes including aggravated fraud, theft, breach of trust, money laundering, and forgery of corporate documents. He was convicted of the crimes in 2009 and began serving out his sentence later that year.