Rafi Rotem Israeli Tax Authority whistleblower

http://www.scribd.com/Rafi_Rotem

Index of records //
http://www.scribd.com/doc/218864098

2014-04-28 State Ombudsman's response letter to journalists //

Israeli Tax Authority whistleblower Rafi Rotem exposed organized crime in government: Huge tax breaks to
tycoons and crime figure related businesses, sex bribes, and murder of a "source". Rotem has been subjected to
harassment, intimidation, and retaliation over the past 12 years. He lost his job, his home, his possessions.
Recently, his case has become a cause of the Israeli Protest movement, as a key case in fighting government
corruption.
The April 28, 2014 letter by the State Ombudsman to a group of 44 journalists, tries to dissociate the current State
Ombudsman from the scandal, and show that he is trying to find a financial compensation package for Rotem. With
it, the Ombudsman states that the scandal was over by 2007, implying that he is not willing to take Rotem's
complaints and investigate them.
The letter comes as a response to the journalists letter to the State Ombudsman in December 2013.
LINK:
[1] 2013-12-19 44
Letter by 44 journalists to State Ombudsman to provide Rotem protection
http://www.scribd.com/doc/220934518/

Translation of the below press release:

Noam Bar-Shalom [Israeli Broadcast Authority journalist - jz]
April 28 at 9:30pm Tel Aviv, Israel

Dear friends, this morning I received and with me I assume some other 40 journalists the following
statement by State Ombudsman Yosef Shapira, in response to our letter to him a few months ago. I hope
that this is indeed true progress. It is difficult to see how the matter could go backwards from this point,
although I am familiar with Rafi's skepticism. The matter is worth reporting unfortunately I am on study
leave. For your review.

April 28, 2014

Mr Rotem's case is on the Ombudsman's desk at all times. I do not believe that there is a need to add
words on how difficult it is to resolve this affair, which started in the previous century and matured in the
first decade of this century.
In fact, one can say that the affair was over by 2007, about 5 years before I took office. With it, early this
year, a new opening emerged, through which there is now an honest and sincere attempt, including
numerous parties, to find a humane resolution for this affair.
At this stage, a formal complaint was filed with the State Ombudsman by Attorney Hay Bar-El. Mr
Rotem's Counsel, relative to the procedure of Mr Rotem's termination from the Tax Authority in 2007.
Even prior to the deadline for response by the Authority to the Ombudsman, several meetings took place
in our office with senior public officers, and it appears that all relevant parties have internalized the need
to reach a speedy resolution. Under such circumstances, we approached Mr Rotem's counsel so that he
would draft the financial demands, stemming from his complaint, and on Passover Eve, his letter was
forwarded directly to the Ministry of Treasury CFO and the State Service Office' with an accopanying

letter by the Director of the State Ombudsman's office, Attorney Hillel Shamgar.
We were informed that in the next few days, a meeting will be scheduled between Mr Rotem's counsel
and the relevant parties in the Ministry of Treasury' for initiating negotiations.
Noam Bar-Shalom
April 28 at 9:30pm Tel Aviv, Israel

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