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צילום: ויז'ואל/פוטוס
Top Qalansuwa officials arrested
Arab township's mayor, several high ranking officials suspected of bribery, criminal conspiracy
Central Police District detectives arrested the mayor of Qalansuwa, an Arab town in central Israel, as well as three high-ranking city officials and two local businessmen, on suspicion of several grave offenses, including conspiracy to commit a crime and bribery.
A partial gag order was placed on the case on Sunday.
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The arrests followed a raid of Qalansuwa City Hall, with itself followed a lengthy covert police investigation.
The mayor, who was arrested shortly prior to leaving Israel on a planned trip abroad, was arraigned by the Ramla District Court. According to the few details released, he is suspected of accepting bribes as well as extortion and intimidation.
The police investigation paints a bleak picture of corruption in City Hall. The City officials implicated in the case were arraigned on suspicion of bribery, fraudulently obtaining benefits, falsifying corporate records and witness harassment.
All six are investigated for conspiracy to commit a crime, as well.
"This is a very serious case as far as the link between public officials and criminal elements are concerned," a police source said.
Eli Senyor contributed to this report
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