Kfar Saba Mayor's Wife Silent in Bribery Probe; CEO Released to House Arrest

The CEO of the Kfar Saba Municipal Economic Corporation, CEO of the Kfar Saba Municipal Economic Corporation, was released to six days of house arrest on Thursday as part of the "Road to the Village" affair. The investigation also involves Mayor Rafi Saar and his wife Mital, who are suspected of receiving hundreds of thousands of shekels in bribes from businessmen. A judge at the Rishon LeZion Magistrate's Court ordered the CEO of the Kfar Saba Municipal Economic Corporation's release to house arrest, with a 24-hour delay to allow the National Fraud Investigations Unit (LAHAV 433) to file an appeal.

During the investigation, police seized 1 million shekels in cash from 17 suspects and seven individuals who were detained. Approximately 300,000 shekels were found in the home of Mayor Saar and his wife, and at the home of Mital Saar's mother, where most of the cash, along with luxury watches and bags, was discovered. Mayor Saar and his wife are detained until Monday.

The corruption probe, which began last Monday, alleges that in exchange for bribes, primarily in cash, the mayor and CEO, with significant involvement from the mayor's wife, acted to benefit businessmen, leading to them winning numerous significant tenders. The CEO of the Kfar Saba Municipal Economic Corporation's attorneys claim investigators pressured him to testify against Mital Saar, stating that the police are not investigating him as a suspect but rather to exert pressure. They also asserted that the police lack direct evidence of the CEO of the Kfar Saba Municipal Economic Corporation receiving bribes, though investigators presented evidence of his involvement in promoting projects for the benefit of businessmen at the municipality's expense.

Mital Saar, represented by attorney Haya Zion Zakkai, stated she is in a "difficult psychological state" and has exercised her right to remain silent. The investigators allowed her to speak with her two daughters, aged 14 and 15, who witnessed the early morning arrest. Mayor Saar, represented by attorney Micha Pitman, denied any connection to his wife's actions and claimed he did not receive any bribe money.

Attorneys for the CEO of the Kfar Saba Municipal Economic Corporation argued that the police have wiretaps of the mayor and his wife spanning over a year, potentially capturing conversations between Mital Saar and the CEO of the Kfar Saba Municipal Economic Corporation. They maintain that while the CEO of the Kfar Saba Municipal Economic Corporation may have said "yes" to some requests and occasionally noted when a request was illegitimate, he did not carry out any illegal actions. The investigators, however, presented evidence suggesting the CEO of the Kfar Saba Municipal Economic Corporation promoted projects not in the municipality's interest, with the judge finding sufficient grounds for suspicion despite acknowledging the potential for pressure tactics.

The judge ordered the CEO of the Kfar Saba Municipal Economic Corporation's release to house arrest for six days, a 30-day ban from Kfar Saba, and prohibited contact with anyone involved in the case. The police intend to appeal the decision.