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The former New York City Police Commissioner, Bernard B. Kerik
may be indicted on federal charges by the end of the week.
Kerik was charged for tax evasion, conspiracy and acceptance
of $165,000 as bribe for renovating his Bronx apartment
from a contractor who was seeking a city license. This thing happened in 1999
while he was still the head of the Correction Department, the New York Post reports.
Kerik denied these charges until a misdemeanor guilty plea in
state court last year. If the grand jury will indict him today, he will
surrender to authorities Friday morning and face an arraignment in the United
States District Court in White Plains
later in the day, according to sources close to the investigation.
Kerik’s lawyer Kenneth Brenn said: "The prosecutors
have not advised me of whether or when they expect to bring charges. If they
make the decision to charge him we will fight it in court and he will win,"
according to the Post.
Brenn and Kerik made a last effort to avoid the prosecution during a meeting
with the federal authorities but they had no success.
Kerik is known to have served under former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani and
these accusations seem to be troublesome for Mr. Giuliani’s presidential
campaign.
Kerik is also a partner in Giuliani’s private consulting firm, Giuliani Partners,
and a member of his law firm Bracewell & Giuliani. When the reporters
questioned Giuliani if he is going to give up on the collaboration with Kerik,
he gave a sharp answer no, adding:
"Nobody has ever accused them of doing anything wrong. So all of the
sudden, you are going to start jumping to conclusions about them when there are
absolutely no suggestion they have done anything wrong?" the New
York Daily News reports.
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