David “Dudi” Ezra, who is the father-in-law of Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli, was arrested on suspicion of smuggling more than 475,000 euros ($508,118) in cash out of the country. He was given a conditional release on Monday.
Ezra, 72, the head of food giant Neto Group, was headed for Greece for the holiday weekend when he was halted by airport security due to 475,000 euros found in his bag. He told investigators from the Tax Authority that the money was for contractors who were working on a vacation home he had bought in Greece.
In his defense, Ezra told investigators he knew the cash had to be reported when he left the country, but he didn’t know where to report it.
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Judge Amir Shaked of the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court released Ezra under the conditions of a NIS 500,000 bail, a NIS 100,000 third-party guarantee, and a 90-day stay of exit order.
In September 2020, Bar Refaeli herself and her mother Zipi Refaeli were found guilty of tax evasion. This case had been going on for a long time and had hurt the reputation of a once-loved national figure.
The mother Zipi Refaeli on the cover following her release from prison
The mother and the daughter were compelled to pay a $1.5 million fine and owe millions of dollars in past taxes to the state. Bar was sentenced to nine months of community service. Her mother spent half of a 16-month term for tax cheating. She was released a year ago.
