Israel’s Attorney General has reportedly authorized the Israel Tax Authority to conduct a covert investigation into UTJ chairman MK Yitzchok Goldknopf, who previously served as Minister of Housing, according to a report Tuesday evening by journalist Avishai Grinzeig of i24NEWS.

According to the report, a review conducted by the Tax Authority found that Goldknopf declared ownership of 13 real-estate properties as of 2022. However, investigators allegedly identified at least three additional properties that were not included in the reported holdings.

The report further claimed that the Tax Authority examined several unusual transactions involving Goldknopf and members of his family.

Among the transactions cited was the sale of a large apartment by a Bais Yaakov-affiliated nonprofit organization identified with Goldknopf to his granddaughter at a price allegedly below market value. According to the report, investigators are examining claims that the family relationship was not disclosed during the transaction. The report further alleged that the granddaughter later transferred ownership of the apartment to her parents as a gift.

Another transaction highlighted in the report dates back to 2015. According to the allegations, Yisrael Goldknopf, a son of Yitzchak Goldknopf, transferred half ownership of an apartment to his father as a gift. The report states that Goldknopf later sold the property.

The report also alleged that Tax Authority officials examined claims of unpaid taxes related to certain transactions, asserting that payment was allegedly made only after the matter was identified by authorities.

In addition, questions were reportedly raised regarding the sources of funding used to purchase some of the properties. However, according to the report, investigators did not reach a definitive conclusion on that issue.

Grinzeig further reported that intelligence information reviewed by authorities included allegations that, while serving as Housing Minister, Goldknopf raised issues during professional meetings with municipal officials concerning kindergartens operated by the educational network he previously founded and managed, and which is currently run by his son.

According to the report, those discussions may have conflicted with the terms of Goldknopf’s conflict-of-interest arrangement.

Despite the findings outlined in the report, it was stated that the Attorney General has not instructed authorities to question Goldknopf under caution at this stage.

Both the Israel Tax Authority and the Attorney General’s Office declined to comment on the report.

In response, the office of UTJ chairman MK Yitzchok Goldknopf said that several of the allegations had already been published and examined in the past, and that no wrongdoing had been found.

Goldknopf’s office further stated that the apartment in question belongs to his granddaughter and has no connection to him, while dismissing the allegations involving his son Yisrael as entirely baseless.

The statement also rejected claims that taxes were paid late, asserting that no inquiry had ever been received from tax authorities regarding the matter.

Regarding the financing of the properties, Goldknopf’s office said that all purchases and funding sources were fully documented and conducted in accordance with the law.

Addressing allegations related to discussions involving the Bais Yaakov network, Goldknopf’s office dismissed the claims outright, describing them as “complete nonsense.”

{Matzav.com}