6 employees of corporation owned by Tel Aviv city hall arrested for alleged bribery
Among those detained in fraud case is group’s director, suspected of ‘corrupt relationships’ with contractors and promoting their interests in return for kickbacks
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Police on Wednesday arrested six employees of a corporation owned by the Tel Aviv municipality on suspicion of bribery, aggravated fraud, and money laundering.
Four others were detained for questioning in relation to the case, a law enforcement spokesman said, adding that the arrests came after a weeks-long covert investigation.
Among the suspects is the director of the corporation, which the police statement did not name.
According to the Walla news site, police raided the offices of the Ezra and Bitzaron corporation, which deals with municipal refurbishment projects. Officers also searched the suspects’ homes and took documents, the outlet reported. The Nadlan Center outlet, which covers real estate news, reported that the director’s wife was among those arrested.
Investigators believe that the director maintained “corrupt relationships” with the corporation’s contractors, suppliers, and franchisees, police said. He is thought to have promoted their business interests in exchange for bribes.
So far, no employees of the municipality are suspects, the report said, citing sources familiar with the case.
Police interrogated the suspects at the Lahav 433 headquarters and was set to bring them before the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court later Wednesday to request an extension of their remand.
Last year, Tel Aviv municipal workers were among 13 arrested by police in a bribery scam investigation that expanded to include the Rehovot and Ashkelon municipalities. Police suspected that workers in companies providing cleaning services for Tel Aviv’s sanitation department provided benefits, including bribes, to city employees in return for their assistance in securing municipal contracts.
The Times of Israel Community.