Four More Arrested in Alleged Vote-Buying Scheme for Ra'am Party
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Police arrested four more suspects, including three school principals, in an alleged vote-buying scheme for the Ra'am party, bringing the total arrests to seven. Tens of thousands of shekels were found in cash, suspected to be for bribery, though one suspect claimed it was for charity. The investigation is being handled by the National Fraud Investigation Unit.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Police arrested four more suspects, including three school principals, in an alleged vote-buying scheme for the Ra'am party.
- The arrests bring the total number of suspects in the case to seven.
- Tens of thousands of shekels in cash were found in envelopes during searches.
- One suspect claims the money was for donations to needy families, not bribery.
- The investigation is being handled by the National Fraud Investigation Unit of Lahav 433.
- The case is separate from a Shin Bet inquiry into suspected foreign election interference.
Israeli police have arrested four additional suspects in an alleged vote-buying scheme aimed at benefiting the Ra'am party during the recent Knesset elections. Among the new detainees are three principals from schools in the Bedouin towns of Tel Sheva and Segev Shalom in the Negev. This brings the total number of suspects arrested in the case to seven. The investigation, now handled by the National Fraud Investigation Unit of Lahav 433, began following suspicions that individuals were being bribed to vote for Ra'am in the 26th Knesset elections. During searches of the initial suspects' homes, envelopes containing tens of thousands of shekels in cash were discovered. Police suspect the money was intended for bribery in exchange for votes. However, one suspect claimed the cash was meant for donations to needy families from the Islamic Movement, not for election bribery. The arrests occur amidst a separate Shin Bet inquiry into suspected foreign interference in the elections, involving funds from Qatar and Turkey, though no link between the two investigations has been established yet.
Mentioned
