Seven arrested in extensive corruption case in north Israel
The Israel Police arrested seven officials on Monday morning who are suspected of being involved in an elaborate corruption case in a local authority in the north.
Lahav 433 – Israeli crime – fighting umbrella organization within the Israel Police, investigating national crimes and corruption. Lod, Oct 14, 2018. Photo by Kobi Richter/TPS
The police stated that as part of the police’s fight against offences related to public corruption, seven suspects were arrested by the National Fraud Investigation Unit of the Lahav 433 Branch, including an elected official, the head of a local authority in the north, and senior public employees.
With the move to an overt investigation conducted in secret in recent months, seven suspects were arrested for questioning with a warning, and another four were detained, on suspicion of involvement in bribery, breach of trust, money laundering, election-related offences, tax offences, and offences under the Planning and Building Act.
During the arrests, the suspects’ homes and offices were searched and various items were seized for the investigation.
According to the suspicion, the elected official, together with other public employees, allegedly received sums of money and benefits, in exchange for promoting the benefit of the bribers by endorsing tenders at a local authority in the north while harming the public interest.
The investigation is being conducted by the National Fraud Investigation Unit in cooperation with the Tax Authority, the Real Estate Enforcement Authority, the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Authority and accompanied by the Haifa Prosecutor’s Office.
Some of the suspects will be brought to court for a hearing on their remand.
“We will continue to act wherever there is a suspicion of public corruption that violates the rules of government and proper administration, in order to expose improper processes and reach the investigation of the truth,” the police stated.
