Northern mayor and deputy arrested for suspected electoral fraud, bribery

The Israel Police said Tuesday it had arrested the mayor of a northern city as well as the deputy mayor on suspicion of electoral fraud and bribery.

Several other people were also arrested, police said in a statement. They are suspected of bribery, election bribery, and other offenses.

Though police did not name the suspects, Hebrew media reports said the main suspect was Acre Mayor Amihai Ben Shlush.

An undercover investigation launched at the end of last year became public with the arrest of the suspects, police said.

Investigators suspect that during the last municipal elections in early 2024, the mayor and his deputy acted via contractors to secure votes, promising them positions in city hall and assistance in winning municipal tenders.

Police said the suspects were being questioned and that the Lahav 433 national serious crime unit was handling the case.

The suspects were to be brought for a remand hearing at the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court later in the day.

According to the Walla and Ynet outlets, which both identified Ben Shlush as the key suspect, a total of 14 people have been detained for questioning.

In a post to his Facebook page, Ben Shlush insisted on his innocence, posting a quote from the Book of Psalms: “He walked blamelessly and acted righteously and spoke the truth in his heart.”

The investigation came against the background of a petition filed at the Haifa District Court against the results of the Acre election. The petition was filed by mayoral contender, Ohad Segev, who had campaigned against Ben Shlush.

Ynet reported, without citing sources, that there is testimony from activists, footage, recorded conversations, WhatsApp messages, and testimonies to back up the claim that votes were bought.