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Kfar Saba Mayor, Wife Detained Amid Corruption Probe

The Rishon LeZion Magistrate's Court on Monday extended the detention of Kfar Saba Mayor Rafi Saar and his wife, Mital Saar, until Thursday. The decision follows a year-long covert investigation by Lahav 433's National Fraud Unit into allegations of bribery, bid rigging, and financial misconduct within the municipality.

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Kfar Saba Mayor, Wife Detained Amid Corruption Probe — Illustration by baba

What happened

01The Rishon LeZion Magistrate's Court extended the detention of Kfar Saba Mayor Rafi Saar and his wife Mital Saar until Thursday.
02Lahav 433's National Fraud Unit is investigating allegations of bribery, bid rigging, and financial misconduct in the Kfar Saba municipality.
03Police are considering securing a state's witness and claim new evidence strengthens the suspicions against the mayor and his wife.
04Investigators seized cash, luxury bags, and valuable watches during raids on the mayor's home and office.
05Businessman Ephraim Kahlon was detained for five days over a NIS 2.5 million loan document linked to Mital Saar.
06Mayor Rafi Saar maintains his innocence and denies any awareness of his wife's alleged financial and municipal dealings.
07Mital Saar has invoked her right to remain silent and is reportedly experiencing severe psychological distress in detention.

Investigators are examining financial transfers and Meital Saar's alleged behind-the-scenes involvement in municipal affairs. Raids on the mayor's home and office yielded large sums of cash, luxury bags, and valuable watches. Police are also considering securing a state's witness to implicate the couple, stating that new evidence has strengthened the case.

Another suspect, businessman Ephraim Kahlon, had his detention extended by five days. Investigators are pressuring him to cooperate regarding a document showing he was to lend Mital Saar NIS 2.5 million, which was allegedly never transferred. Kahlon, who reports a monthly income of NIS 6,000, claims he does not recall the document.

Mayor Saar has denied any knowledge of his wife's alleged financial dealings or municipal involvement. Mital Saar has invoked her right to remain silent on her lawyer's advice. Her attorney reported that she is in severe psychological distress and has lost five kilograms since her arrest.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated 17:47

Latest report: Maariv. Read Maariv’s original