Election Bribery Suspects May Be Released, Claiming Funds for Needy Families
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Three Negev residents arrested on suspicion of election bribery are expected to be released Sunday as investigators analyze seized digital data. The suspects claim the money found was for a charity assisting needy families, not political activity. Police previously stated tens of thousands of shekels were found, but sources say only 12 shekels were recovered. Intelligence on the arrests was reportedly provided by the Prime Minister's acting chief of staff.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Three Negev residents arrested for election bribery may be released Sunday.
- Suspects claim money found was for a charity, not political purposes.
- Police statement on cash found contradicts suspect claims of only 12 shekels.
- Prime Minister's acting chief of staff reportedly provided intelligence on arrests.
- Election Committee states no evidence of vote tampering or bribery found.
Three residents of the Negev, arrested last Wednesday on suspicion of election bribery, are expected to be released from custody on Sunday morning as their detention period concludes. Investigators from Lahav 433's National Fraud Investigation Unit (YAHA) are analyzing data extracted by cyber experts from the suspects' seized mobile phones and computers. If no "dramatic" evidence emerges to significantly bolster the bribery allegations, the three are likely to be freed.
The suspects, identified as two from Segev Shalom and one from Rahat, were initially arrested by police in the Southern District on election day. Due to the investigation's sensitivity, Police Commissioner Danny Levi transferred the case to YAHA. Reports indicate that envelopes containing a total of only 12 shekels were found, contradicting an earlier police statement about tens of thousands of shekels in cash. The suspects explained the money belonged to a non-political charitable organization assisting families in financial distress, and the seized lists were of recipients.
Sources close to the suspects claim they are not activists for any party in the Arab sector and believe they are victims of political interests aiming to tarnish the Arab community. One suspect, Ibrahim Al-Gribi, 42, from Al-Azama, and another, Hussein Masaudin, 63, from Segev Shalom, along with Saif Abu Riash, 38, a doctor from the Al-Sana tribe, were named by the police as having envelopes with cash and voting slips found in their homes. The police had initially stated that searches were conducted without a warrant.
Intelligence regarding the arrests was reportedly provided to the police by Ido Norman, acting chief of staff to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu and the Likud party leveraged the initial police announcement to claim election theft on election morning, a narrative that intensified after the results. However, the Election Committee emphasized that the investigations do not concern the integrity of the vote, with no indications of vote tampering or vote buying. The exact nature of the charges against the arrested individuals remains unclear, and the case is distinct from other alleged foreign influence operations.
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