Mayor of northern Israeli city questioned over corruption
Police suspect elected official, along with his deputy and 5 public servants, committed theft and accepted illegal gifts
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The mayor of a northern Israeli city was questioned on Monday along with several other officials on suspicion of corruption, police and Hebrew-language media reported.
The unnamed mayor was interrogated, along with his deputy and five other public sevants, by the police anti-fraud unit Lahav 433.
Police said in a statement that the officials are suspected of theft, accepting an illegal gift in aggravated circumstances, fraud and breach of trust.
It added that the investigation hasn’t ended yet, and that the case would be transferred to the state attorney’s office upon completion. No further details were given.
Corruption scandals have dogged numerous municipalities over recent years.
In the central Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, a number of senior municipal officials were arrested Sunday on suspicion of bribery and corruption, with investigators suspecting that they received sizable kickbacks from business people in return for advancing their interests by allowing them to purchase land for development.
Planning committee chairman Moshe Montag and municipal engineer Daniel Tzarfati were remanded in custody until Thursday by the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court.
Montag is alleged to have given building permits and approval for real estate projects in exchange for bribes and benefits, including rezoning public areas to residential. He is suspected of fraud and conspiracy to commit crime.
Tzarfati is also suspected of receiving favors and bribes in exchange for promoting planning and construction of developers, as well as fraud and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Last month police arrested or detained in three separate cases a total of 17 local officials across the country, including one municipal representative reportedly close to Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon.
Seven people were arrested when police and tax officials raided the Hevel Modiin Regional Council offices, including a senior elected official in the council. Seven others were taken to Lahav 433 headquarters for questioning as part of the same investigation. Two others were arrested in another corruption probe.
An ongoing, unrelated corruption investigation involving officials from the Rishon Lezion municipality and local developers has focused on MK David Bitan, a former deputy mayor in the city, who was forced to resign last December as coalition whip after it emerged that he was at the center of the probe.
Raoul Wootliff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.