Nahariya deputy mayor among 14 arrested in corruption scandal

Police arrested 14 suspects on Tuesday morning, among them a deputy mayor in northern Israel, on suspicion of bribery and corruption.

The deputy mayor serves in the Nahariya municipality, Hebrew outlets reported.

The suspects are believed to have participated in a bribery ring that allowed a criminal organization to take control of key decision-making roles in the municipality, enabling them to box out rival contractors during bidding for projects, police said.

In exchange for bribes, the municipal officials allegedly worked to ensure that contractors linked to the criminal organization won the tenders by providing them with insider information.

Police said the municipality was subjected to “systematic and continued infiltration” by criminal elements. Alleged members of the criminal organization were also arrested, Hebrew outlets reported.

“Every contractor or entrepreneur who wished to work in the city was forced to go through them [the criminal organization],” said Supt. Diti Zeelim, a Lahav 433 officer.

According to law enforcement, the suspected criminals reaped tens of millions of shekels in profits thanks to the illicit influence they enjoyed over the city’s Tenders Committee and Planning and Building Committee.

The suspects were not immediately named, but police shared footage of officers entering Nahariya’s city hall.

The municipality put out an announcement soon after the arrests, stating that Mayor Ronen Marelly instructed “all officials and public employees to cooperate with investigation officials and law enforcement.”

Investigators in the Lahav 433 major crimes and Tax Authority officials had been conducting a covert investigation into the suspicions for over a year, which was only made public with Tuesday’s arrests.

The 14 arrested suspects were due for remand hearings in the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court.

Four additional suspects were detained for questioning but not taken into police custody.

Officers also seized luxury cars, a yacht and real estate assets worth millions of shekels in total, police added.

Ziv Gilad and Rinat Gilad-Perl, attorneys for two of the suspects, told Ynet that their clients deny the suspicions against them.

“This is naturally a complex and multifaceted case and in its initial stage. We managed to consult with our clients before the interrogation and they deny having committed any offense,” the lawyers told the news outlet, adding that “the picture will become clearer after the remand hearing.”