Police recommend Kiryat Motzkin mayor stand trial for bribery

Police recommend Kiryat Motzkin mayor Haim Tzuri be put on trial on a series of corruption charges.

Investigators say they’ve gathered evidence indicating Tzuri and some of his associates took bribes, committed fraud and breach of trust, and obstructed justice, as well as committed various privacy violations.

Among the various allegations, police say the mayor allegedly gathered information on the locals’ political preferences to secure his reelection.

“The joint investigation revealed that for years, [the suspects] used the database on Kiryat Motzkin residents, which is managed by the city and includes information on all residents of the city, to advance the mayor’s election campaign,” police say.

“In addition, according to the suspicions, public funds were used to upgrade the city’s database for the political needs of Tzuri. In addition, information was gathered on the political views of the city’s residents in the city hall database, and therefore, according to the suspicions, the right to privacy of the residents was violated.”