Litzman aide arrested for alleged corruption involving dairy giant Tnuva

A close assistant to Housing Minister Yaakov Litzman is named as one of several suspects arrested this morning on suspicion of corruption.

The identities of those arrested were initially barred from publication, but were then released. The aide is Motti Babchik, Litzman’s senior assistant and close confidant. The others are a department head at dairy conglomerate Tnuva and top officials at a medical company and a lobbying company.

Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit announced last month that he has decided to indict Housing Minister Yaakov Litzman of the United Torah Judaism party for obstruction of justice and breach of trust, pending a hearing.

The pending charges relate to suspicions that Litzman used his former position as deputy health minister to prevent the extradition to Australia of Malka Leifer, a former principal of an Orthodox girls school in Melbourne accused of sexually assaulting minors (Leifer was recently extradited after a years-long saga); and to prevent the closure of a deli cited for health violations.