Speaker says he hopes Oren Hazan ‘will clear himself of all suspicions’ after report makes claims about his behaviour while running casino in Bulgaria

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

Israel’s parliament has suspended the deputy speaker, Oren Hazan, after a report alleged he was involved in pimping and drugs.

In a post on his Facebook page the speaker, Yuli Edelstein, wrote: “I informed MK Oren Hazan this morning that for the time being I won’t be able to let him run the plenum sessions as deputy speaker of the Knesset, in light of the report on him on Channel 2.”

“I am full of hope that he will clear himself of all suspicions and I will be happy to apologise to him. But in the current public atmosphere, ethically – even if not criminally – there is no way he can run the plenum.”

The report on the privately owned Channel 2, broadcast on Monday, alleged that Hazan, who used to run a casino in Bulgaria, arranged to provide its clients with prostitutes and used hard drugs during that time.

Hazan, a member of Binyamin Netanyahu’s Likud party elected in March, denied any wrongdoing in a series of interviews on Tuesday.

His lawyer told military radio that Hazan had a medical condition that prevented him from being able to use hard drugs.

Following Edelstein’s announcement, Hazan phoned the speaker and threatened to find information about him and expose it publicly, an aide to Edelstein told Agence France-Presse.

Hazan earlier said he would be unable to chair Tuesday’s plenum session since he was consulting with his lawyers before filing a lawsuit against Channel 2, a move he announced on Monday night.