Petah Tikva Mayor Rami Greenberg, the municipality’s director-general, and eight other suspects may face criminal charges in a case involving alleged bribery and the funding of Greenberg’s 2018 election campaign, the State Attorney’s Office announced on Sunday.
The office’s Economic Department notified their lawyers that State Attorney Amit Aisman is considering bringing charges, subject to pre-indictment hearings. The offenses under consideration include bribery, fraud and breach of trust, forgery, and tax offenses, with the allegations differing according to each suspect’s role.
The hearings will give the suspects an opportunity to argue against prosecution before a final decision is made. Greenberg’s lawyer, Ofer Bartal, denied the allegations, saying the money his client received consisted of loans that were subsequently repaid with interest, Ynet reported.
The story begins in 2018, when Greenberg is suspected of receiving benefits worth more than NIS 1 million during his campaign for mayor. According to prosecutors, businessmen and associates helped finance his campaign expenses in what they allege amounted to bribery.
Greenberg won that election, defeating incumbent mayor Itzik Braverman, meaning that the alleged payments concern the campaign that brought him to the mayor’s office.
Greenberg accused of indirect bribery through campaign funding
According to the prosecution, Greenberg in return carried out - or committed to carrying out - actions as part of his public position, including after he had been elected mayor.
A bribe does not need to be cash handed directly to an official. Israeli law also covers services and other benefits given in exchange for actions connected to a public role. Here, the allegation is that campaign expenses were financed in return for Greenberg’s actions in office.
Among those suspected of giving Greenberg bribes is Yaniv Benita, now the municipality’s director-general. The announcement also names businessmen Moshe Saadon, Netanel Zar, and Amnon Ben-Ami as suspected bribe-givers.
The prosecution announcement notes that some of the suspects allegedly tried to hide the bribery payments and mislead the state comptroller about the campaign’s financing, including through forged documents.
It names Moshe Greenberg, attorneys Tal Gerstein and Shai Partush, and Nir Benita as suspected of involvement in presenting false information about the election funding.
Mayor's lawyer denies wrongdoing, expects case to be closed
Gerstein’s lawyer, Eddie Avinoam, denied wrongdoing and said he expected the case to be closed after the defense presented its arguments at the hearing, Globes reported.
Bartal said Greenberg would rebut the allegations at his hearing and maintained that the loans would have been repaid even if he had lost the election, according to Ynet.
The case was investigated by Lahav 433’s National Economic Crimes Unit and the Tax Authority’s Yahalom unit.
The investigation includes a state witness agreement. The prosecution said a gag order prohibits publication of the agreement’s details or any information that could identify the witness.
Follow us on GoogleSource: The Jerusalem Post · SARAH BEN-NUN
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