Government corruption scandal could widen, official says

An investigation into a corruption scandal allegedly involving Yisrael Beytenu politicians and other public officials could be widened to probe a number of ministries controlled by the party, sources involved in the case said on Saturday.

Arrests of officials from public bodies and other organizations are expected in the near future, on top of the 31 people already detained as part of the affair, the Hebrew-language daily Haaretz reported.

In addition to the Foreign Ministry, the Yisrael Beytenu party also holds the portfolios for the Agriculture, Immigration, Tourism, and Public Security ministries.

On Wednesday, at the end of a year-long investigation, police arrested 31 suspects in the affair, which allegedly involves a large system of bribes to Yisrael Beytenu politicians in return for political favors.

Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch, who oversees the police, was reportedly not told about the probe. However, if investigators look at all of the Yisrael Beytenu ministries, cops may need to scrutinize the goings on within their boss’s office.

The sources noted that, so far, there is no indication that party leader Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman was involved in the alleged offenses.

Many of the suspects in the affair are high-level members of Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party, including Deputy Interior Minister Faina Kirshenbaum, who is a key suspect in the case along with her daughter Ranit.

Former tourism minister Stas Misezhnikov was also detained as part of the investigation.

A number of suspects were ordered by a court to remain behind bars, though Faina Kirschenbaum, who was grilled by police for seven hours Wednesday, was not among them.

There were no reports of suspicion against Interior Minister Gilad Erdan, who is from the Likud party.

Investigators suspect that large sums of money were inappropriately transferred to non-government organizations and various other groups. In return, the organizations allegedly made nepotistic appointments, as well as circulating some of the money back to public officials in the form of cash payoffs and benefits.

“The covert investigation revealed a calculated method wherein the suspects and their representatives unlawfully transferred, using their powers as public officials, large sums of public funds to [various] bodies and authorities, in exchange for large benefits for them or their associates, including appointments, payments and more,” a police statement said after the initial round of arrests.

Among others detained were the head of the Shomron Regional Council, Gershon Mesika, and the treasurer of the Binyamin Regional Council, Effy Peles. The two are accused of bribery and accepting unspecified benefits, and their remand was extended by six days and four days, respectively.

David Godovsky, the chief of staff for the Yisrael Beytenu party, is suspected of several counts of bribery. He was ordered to stay in jail nine days. Misezhnikov was ordered to remain in jail for eight days, along with a number of other officials.

On Thursday, police said Agriculture Ministry Director Rami Cohen was also being held.

Police say they have state’s witnesses and incriminating evidence against some of the suspects.

A senior police officer said that the massive bust had saved the state millions, since the illicit money transfers would have continued had the police not intervened.

In a statement, Yisrael Beytenu said the arrests were part of a pre-election political witch hunt aimed at impeding the party’s campaign ahead of the March 2015 election.

Israel Police Chief Yohanan Danino rejected Yisrael Beytenu’s accusations, denying that the investigation was politically motivated.