From 3 police officers grilled as part of sprawling probe into Nazareth municipality’s ties with criminals
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleInvestigators have detained three police officers for interrogation on suspicion of breach of trust, as part of an unfolding probe into the Nazareth municipality’s ties to the Bakri crime family and potential police collusion with the case’s suspects.
One of the officers questioned this evening holds the rank of commander, says the Department of Internal Police Investigations in a statement announcing the development.
“According to the suspicions, the three [officers] maintained improper relations with criminal elements,” says the DIPI, which operates under the State Attorney’s Office.
The three were released after questioning, subject to limitations including a ban on entering police facilities and the city of Nazareth.
Earlier today, the DIPI announced that an ongoing investigation into Deputy Commissioner Manny Binyamin is linked to the Bakri case. Binyamin, who heads the Lahav 433 major crimes unit, is suspected of maintaining personal ties with Nazareth’s former mayor, a suspect in the investigation, without reporting a conflict of interest.
The probe is being overseen by a joint investigative team made up of DIPI detectives and officers in the Northern District police’s investigative unit.
In a statement today, Binyamin’s defense attorney Uri Korb divulged that his client held numerous meetings and phone calls with the ex-mayor, some of which were attended by other senior police officers.
He nevertheless maintains that Binyamin’s relationship with the official was “professional and transparent to everyone.”
The Times of Israel Community.