<div><p>A court in Tel Aviv on Wednesday sentenced former Israeli finance minister Avraham Hirshson to five years and five months in prison for embezzling one million dollars.</p><p>Hirshson will also have to pay a 450,000 shekel (110,000 dollar) fine.</p><p>He had pleaded guilty to embezzling four million shekels (one million dollars) from a right-wing trade union between 1998 and 2005.</p><p>"The defendant helped himself from funds meant for people in need," the judge wrote in his verdict.</p><p>Hirshson had stepped down as finance minister in July 2007 after investigations were launched against him.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=53370307&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

Copyright 2009  <a href="http://www.afp.com/english/links/?pid=copyright">AFP Global Edition</a></div></div>