""He took bribes and exploited his position": Kiryat Motzkin Mayor to be charged, subject to hearing

June 6, 2022   

The Cyber ​​Department at the State Attorney's Office announced today (Monday), at the opinion of the State Attorney, to the attorney for the mayor of Kiryat Motzkin, Haim Tzuri, that he is being considered for prosecution for the offenses of taking a bribe, breach of trust, receiving something by fraud under aggravated circumstances, obstruction of justice and invasion of privacy, which he allegedly committed in two different cases, between the years 2008-2018 - subject to a hearing to be held for him. A similar announcement was made today by the State Attorney's Office to three additional suspects in the two cases, in whose case an evidentiary foundation was found to supposedly allow them to be prosecuted, subject to a hearing, for similar offenses - each according to their share. Bribery case: According to the suspicion, in 2017, Tzuri and another suspect contacted and met with a resident of Kiryat Motzkin who posted on Facebook denouncing Tzuri and the Kiryat Motzkin Municipality. That resident was active in the 'New Spirit' movement, headed by Zvi (Tsiki) Avissar. During the meeting, the resident was asked by Tzuri and the other suspect to remove the posts he had posted on Facebook condemning Tzuri. This was in exchange for arranging work for that resident and his wife within the municipality, while taking advantage of Tzuri's position for this purpose. The resident was also asked by the two to provide them with information from the meetings of activists of the 'New Spirit' movement, which competes with Tzuri and his faction. Subsequently, the resident stopped posting posts condemning Tzuri on Facebook and provided Tzuri and the other suspect with information about the 'New Spirit' movement for a period of about six months. In exchange, Tzuri arranged work for the resident and his wife. In this case, Haim Tzuri is being considered for prosecution, together with the other suspect, for the offenses of bribery and breach of trust; and of a resident of Kiryat Motzkin for the offense of giving a bribe - all subject to a hearing. The case of the violation of privacy and the use of databases: According to the suspicion, Mayor Tsuri, through additional participants, acted between 2008-2018 to use the municipality's database for his personal-political needs, with the help of municipality employees, and at the expense of the municipality's funds. Tsuri, together with others, is suspected of having transferred personal information from the municipality's database for the use of his 'Motzkinto' faction and for his own use in the local elections in 2008 and 2013. Tsuri is also suspected of having financed a service to build a new database for his 'Motzkinto' faction, based on the municipality's database, with municipality funds, using false representations to the municipality's treasurer and legal advisor. Based on this false representation, the relevant authorities in the municipality approved the financing. In this case, Haim Zuri and another suspect are being considered for prosecution on charges of invasion of privacy, breach of trust, receiving something by fraud, and obstruction of justice - all subject to a hearing. The cases were investigated by the National Fraud Investigations Unit in Lahav 443 of the Israel Police together with the Privacy Protection Authority at the Ministry of Justice.