Former Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel, Yona Metzger, was questioned by Israel Police on suspicion of committing an indecent act against a minor under the age of 16 and subsequently released on bail, Israeli media reported last week.
Metzger, 71 years old from Tel Aviv, was said to have been "shocked" by the suspicions against him after he was questioned and released on bail.
"Rabbi Metzger was shocked to receive the news of the suspicion attributed to him. The rabbi completely denies the allegations,” Metzger’s lawyer, Yehuda Fried, said in a statement.
“The rabbi trusts the investigating authorities to clarify the true facts and has fully cooperated with the investigation. We have no doubt that after a brief inquiry, it will become clear that there is no basis to these claims," he added.
Previous indictment
Metzger was indicted in 2015 for taking NIS 10 million in bribes. Seven million went directly to Metzger personally. He was fined NIS 1 million, asset forfeiture of NIS 2 million, NIS 2 million in civil assessment fees, and given four-and-a-half years’ imprisonment.
The rabbi was imprisoned in 2017 after signing a plea deal admitting to the charges.
In 2019, then-president Reuven Rivlin declined Metzger’s request for a pardon, emphasizing that a pardon is not simply another link in the justice system and that it is designed for special cases only in which there are exceptional and unique circumstances.