The National Unit for Combating Economic Crime in Israel Police’s Lahav Unit on Monday, 2 Elul, launched an investigation against an employee in the Chief Rabbinate of Israel on suspicion of involvement in bribery, corruption, fraud and breach of trust. It is reported he is a senior employee who promoted a kosher importer in exchange for bribes. A total of 13 persons were arrested, detained, and some questioned ‘under warning’ including the senior employee. Five persons were arrested, and eight others were questioned.

This is an investigation conducted by the Israel Police’s Serious Crimes Unit, together with the Customs Investigation & VAT Office in Tel Aviv and the Yahalom Unit in the Tax Authority, with the assistance of the Prohibition of Money Laundering Authority and accompanied by the Economic Department of the State Attorney’s Office.

According to the suspicions, in a large number of cases, the senior employee received bribes and benefits equal to money in return for promoting the benefit of importers in the framework of his job, in violation of the law. When the suspects were arrested, searches were conducted in their homes and offices. In some of the houses, hundreds of thousands of shekels in cash was seized.

The suspects were brought for questioning at Lahav 433, and they will be brought before the Magistrate’s Court in Rishon L’Tzion for arraignment.

The Chief Rabbinate said in response that “the matter is being investigated by the police, and that this is a dedicated and professional worker. The rabbinate relies on the law enforcement authorities and hopes to complete the investigation as soon as possible.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)