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Thursday, July 8, 1999 25 Tammuz 5759 Updated Thu., Jul. 08 18:44






Elifant denies fleeing over Itri Yeshiva scandal
By DAN IZENBERG


JERUSALEM (July - Rabbi Mordechai Elifant appeared before the Jerusalem District Court yesterday and denied he had run away from Israel after police began investigating allegations last month that his former partner, Rabbi Chaim Weiss, had stolen millions of dollars from his Itri Yeshiva and its subsidiary institutions.

"The papers say I ran away," he told reporters after a hearing on his request to suspend an arbitration decision involving a lawsuit against him and eight other people and institutions. "All I did was to save two girls and to bring back money for the yeshiva. I can prove this."

Elifant refused to say explicitly that former Shas Party leader Aryeh Deri was involved in the alleged scandal. "I don't have clear proof of Deri's involvement and I don't publicize my intuitions," he said.

Elifant said he refused to talk to police before leaving for Italy after his accusations against Weiss were published in the press, because "I am a religious man. Before I talk to police I have to do two things - talk to my lawyer and talk to [former head of the Lithuanian haredi community] Rabbi Shach."

Last month, Ha'aretz published details from an affidavit which Elifant attached to the request heard yesterday. In the affidavit, he claimed that during the 1990s, while he was sick and incapacitated, Weiss seized control of the Itri institutions and stole millions of dollars.

One charge involved a NIS 9 million donation that disappeared. Another involved the sale of land owned by Amutat Itri for $10m. None of it reached the yeshiva's coffers. Elifant said that Amutat Itri's lawyer, Ya'acov Weinroth, had told him $4m. had been paid as taxes, $3m. was tied up in a lawsuit involving Satmar hassid Herman Niederman, $2m. had been "wasted," and $1m. had gone to cover "various expenses."

Another affair involved an alleged decision by a US court obliging one of the Itri organizations to pay $13m. to Zvi Lieberman, a friend of Weiss's. Elifant claimed the US court decision was forged.

Yesterday's hearing touched on these charges, but only indirectly. It involved a request submitted by Elifant to suspend an agreement reached through arbitration between Niederman and the nine respondents, including Elifant and Weiss, who had been represented by Weinroth.

Elifant charged that he had not given Weinroth power of attorney to represent him and therefore the arbitration agreement did not have his approval.

In the affidavit that he attached to his request to suspend the arbitration agreement, Elifant accused Weinroth and Weiss of conspiring behind his back while he was sick to take over the Itri institutions and steal the money.

Jerusalem District Court Judge Ya'acov Tzaban rejected Elifant's request and said that if he wants to claim that Weinroth was not authorized to represent him, he should submit a proper suit to cancel the arbitration decision.

The court would then call up witnesses and hear the arguments of all the parties.