Litzman threatened, offered bribes to employees in his ministry to keep deli open — report

Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman threatened officials in his office in an effort to pressure them to keep open a Jerusalem deli despite serious sanitary findings that led to the sickness of a number of people who ate from its products, Channel 13 news reports.

“I’m the health minister! I’m the health minister! I carried out the dental reform! I did this, that as the other,” one of the ministry employees quotes Litzman as having said.

The employee who spoke to Channel 13 says Litzman then went on to offer him and others raises if they agreed to do what he asked.

Earlier today, police recommended that Litzman be indicted on charges of fraud and breach of trust for using his office to illicitly provide assistance to an alleged serial sex abuser, as well as on a separate bribery charge for helping to prevent the closure of Goldy’s.