10 municipal workers arrested in corruption investigation
Suspects include 2 senior officials; 9 others detained for questioning after 'extensive investigation' by anti-fraud police unit in unnamed locales
Police on Monday arrested more than a dozen employees of local municipalities — including two senior officials — for their suspected roles in a corruption scheme.
A statement from police’s anti-corruption unit Lahav 433 said 10 people were arrested Monday, and nine others were detained for questioning as part of the investigation.
Police said two of the suspects were senior officials, including one aide to a cabinet minister.
The suspects are facing charges of fraud, bribery, money laundering and other corruption-related offenses.
Police did not release the names of the suspects or which municipalities were involved in the alleged scheme. The statement said the arrests early Monday morning came after a “prolonged and extensive undercover investigation” into the public servants.
According to reports in Hebrew-language media, police suspect the municipality officials were accepting bribes from contractors in the Haifa area in exchange for construction jobs.
“Police will continue to investigate and reveal any further offenses in this case that damages everyday citizens’ trust in the state, its institutions and its elected officials,” the Lavav unit said in a statement.