The Holyland affair, which has been described as the biggest corruption case in Israel's history, again came up in court when the police requested an extension to the remand of five of six suspects by nine days.
"This is one of the worst bribery scandals ever in the country, bribery that penetrates through to government authorities, made even more severe by its circumstances and those involved in it," said Deputy President of Rishon Lezion Magistrate's Court, Judge Abraham Heiman.
The court extended the remand of Meir Rabin, one of the suspects, by 10 days. A police superintendant told the court that evidence was increasing as the investigation progressed.
Rabin's attorneys tried to claim that their client may have been arrested, among other reasons, in order to wait until "a certain senior figure" returned from abroad.
However, the judge rejected this claim, saying he was not arrested because former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is abroad.
Recently, with the case moving forward, investigators have gathered new evidence leading to significant developments. The new and unusual request to extend the remand suggests that the police are sure they are in possession of new, significant material.