The police detained for questioning this morning (Monday) the mayor of the south, his assistants and heads of departments in the municipality, along with several businessmen, as part of an investigation into suspected corruption and money laundering involving millions of shekels.
According to police suspicions, donations given to the local authority by elements in Israel and abroad - for the benefit of the residents' well-being following the fighting in Gaza and Operation 'Am Kalavi' in Iran - were transferred to a community fund. From there, according to suspicions, the funds were used by the mayor and his associates for private needs.
The donations were allegedly used to order fictitious services from businessmen, who submitted invoices and received payments from the fund. Some of the sums were then transferred back to the mayor and his associates, in the form of cash or various benefits.
With the transition to the open phase of the investigation, searches were conducted in homes and offices, and the mayor - who was detained while in Eilat - along with others, was transferred for questioning to the offices of the National Fraud Investigations Unit at Lahav 433.
The mayor was arrested not long after speaking at a conference and saying: "My mother taught me not to misappropriate public funds.".
About two weeks ago, the police raided the office of that foundation and collected allegedly incriminating documents from there that show the path of the funds; from that foundation to the mayor's associates.
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