Former Israeli Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov entered prison on Sunday to begin serving 15-month sentence for breach of trust, Haaretz reported.
Misezhnikov’s sentence, which also included a NIS70,000 ($20,000) fine, followed a plea agreement on charges that Misezhnikov had asked the organisers of the Funjoya student festival in Eilat to hire his girlfriend Julia Roth.
The minister, who not reveal his personal relationship with Roth to ministry staff, agreed that his ministry would provide millions of shekels in subsidies for the festival.
As part of the plea arrangement, bribery and drug charges were dropped. The drug charges were based on allegations that, at several events in Israel and abroad, Misezhnikov had sent one of his ministry advisers to buy cocaine and that Misezhnikov consumed it at the events.
Under interrogation, he denied the allegation, claiming that it was a fabrication by an individual who had turned state’s evidence.
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