Jacky Matza
Photo: Dana Kopel
Tax Authority envoy in US arrested
Yigal Saar notified by police he is wanted for questioning in Israel; upon landing in TA, Saar detained, taken for investigation
Further development in the Tax Authority affair: On Monday police arrested Yigal Saar, the Tax Authority's representative in the United States, and transferred him for investigation at the offices of the National Fraud Unit in Bat Yam.
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While he was still in the US, Saar was notified by the police that he is wanted for questioning in Israel. Officers arrested him upon landing at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv Monday evening.
Details regarding the suspicions against Saar have yet to be released.
Also Monday evening, Jacky Matza, the current head of the Tax Authority, was released for a 16-day house arrest after having spent a week in custody.
Matza's release hinges on his removal from his workplace for at least one month.
Throughout the day the interrogation of other suspects in the affair continued, and suspects were presented with the evidence against them obtained by the police.
The non-clandestine investigation of the affair started nearly a week ago. The police suspect that businessmen gave bribes to heads of the Tax Authority and in exchange were allowed to influence appointments in the Authority and have their cronies appointed to top positions.
These associates in turn allegedly granted tax benefits to the businessmen, helped speed up procedures, and reduced their arrears.
