Police said seeking to extend detention of Histadrut chief Bar-David in corruption probe

Police reportedly seek to extend Histadrut chairman Arnon Bar-David’s detention as they investigate the union leader, his insurance agent and other senior officials in a far-reaching corruption probe.

Officers bringing him to the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court today are requesting to keep Bar-David and his insurance agent, Ezra Gabay, in custody for another nine days, Hebrew outlets report.

Bar-David was detained alongside his wife and dozens of other suspects last week in police raids on the labor federation’s offices, officials’ homes and local authorities’ offices. Police seek to keep his wife, Hila Knister Bar-David, in detention for another five days.

Announcing the investigation last week, law enforcement said the probe has been underway for over two years and those detained are suspected of bribery, fraud, breach of trust, money laundering and tax offenses. Some 350 people have been questioned so far in the case.

At the center of the investigation is Gabay, Bar-David’s insurance agent, who is suspected of exploiting his close connections to the Histadrut chairman and Likud party officials to fix jobs for his associates.

Police suspect Gabay handed out senior positions in government-owned corporations and local authorities, on the condition the recipients secure insurance contracts with his agency.

The agent’s son, Assaf, who works as a senior executive in his father’s company, was also arrested on suspicion of partaking in the alleged million-shekel bribery scheme. Police are reportedly seeking to detain him for another seven days.