The Arab Balad (Hebrew acronym for the National Democratic Assembly) party is under investigation for alleged fraud and other white collar crimes connected to the Balad party.

Police on Sunday 15 Elul detained over 20 people around the country, including an accountant and attorneys for their suspected involvement in monetary crimes connected to the party.

The police investigation began with the okay from the State Prosecutor based on evidence presented in the case. It is alleged that senior party officials, including at least one attorney and CPA, during recent years built a fictitious database pertaining to the source of millions of shekels received by the party by defrauding state agencies and the State Comptroller. Millions of shekels were reportedly to have been from sources inside and outside the country were reported to have come from inside Israel. The party appears to have allegedly regularly hidden the source of income and committed crimes by doing so including fraud, submitted fabricated documentation, money laundering, as well as violating election laws and laws governing political parties.

Police on Sunday searched private homes and offices as well as a number of offices held by the party.

Balad officials decried the arrests, adding “This emphasizes the dangerous escalation of political persecution against the Arab minority in general and the political parties in particular”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)