Thursday, December 31, 2015

Moshe Feiglin Applauds Controller General on Action Against Medical Corruption

Moshe Feiglin applauded the Controller General on Wednesday for taking action against the Sarel Medical Company. “During my Knesset term”, said Feiglin, “my Parliamentary Assistant Michael Fuah and I met with the Controller General and showed her the hard facts that we had amassed on the Sarel Medical Company. Her face fell.”

Feiglin said that he told the Controller General that for over two decades, this entirely private company has been serving as a conduit for Health Ministry funds to be channeled into private pockets. This includes former senior Health Ministry officials.

Feiglin and Fuah began their research on Sarel when it was decided that the company would be the sole firm authorized to distribute medical cannabis. According to their figures, Sarel is behind apparent corruption that adds up to a sum that could cover all the deficits of all of Israel’s government-run hospitals.

Feiglin demanded that Sarel no longer be permanently exempt from participating in hospital tenders. He and Michael Fuah showed the Controller General that Sarel’s prices were higher than market value. Nonetheless, the hospitals were forced to buy from Sarel.

“We brought up the issue time and again,” Feiglin said. “ I merited more than few threats – including from former MK Yehiel Hazan (father of the current MK), who for some reason, showed up at my office in the service of Sarel.”

In a media interview, the Sarel Chairman said that were it not for Feiglin’s parliamentary immunity, he would sue him for slander. On the same day, Feiglin announced that his willingness to forgo his immunity. No suit was filed.

“Yesterday,” Feiglin concluded, “the Controller General announced that Sarel’s permanent exemption from tenders would not be extended. I applaud her for that. Better late than never"

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