Kfar Saba Official Released to House Arrest Amid Wedding Gift Mix-Up

A bag containing hundreds of envelopes and checks, found at the home of the CEO of Kfar Saba's Economic Company, initially raised suspicions of bribery. However, it was revealed that the bag contained wedding gifts belonging to a friend of the CEO, identified as Chen. Chen claimed the envelopes were not his but belonged to a friend who had recently married and asked him to hold onto the gifts. After verifying Chen's account, the police returned the envelopes to the groom.

Despite this clarification, police sought to continue Chen's detention, alleging he received benefits beyond money, possibly including promises of promotion, in exchange for fulfilling requests. Chen denied these claims, stating he had refused an offer to become the CEO of Kfar Saba municipality about a year prior, thereby refuting the suspicion of professional advancement in return for illegal actions. His attorney, Gz, argued that while Mital Saar, the mayor's wife, might have contacted Chen with requests related to his work, no illegal actions were committed by Chen.

Attorney Gz further accused investigators of holding Chen in custody to pressure him into providing incriminating information against Mayor Rafi Saar and his wife, Mital. He alleged that investigators offered Chen immediate release in exchange for testimony against Mital Saar, an offer Chen reportedly refused. Police representatives present at the hearing denied these allegations.

Ultimately, Judge Mizrachi ordered Chen's release to house arrest for six days, citing a change in circumstances and lack of justification for continued detention. However, the police requested a delay in the release execution to file an appeal with the district court, which the judge granted, keeping Chen in custody until the following morning to allow for the appeal. The police must file their appeal by then if they intend to challenge the release order.