Netanya Mayor arrested on suspicion of bribery

Miriam Feirberg, photo: Tamar Matsafi
Miriam Feirberg, photo: Tamar Matsafi

The arrest follows that of Netanya Mayor Miriam Feirberg's son Tzafrir and others for alleged involvement in bribery.

Netanya Mayor Miriam Feirberg has been arrested for suspected involvement in the alleged bribery affair in the municipality.

This Netanya municipality affair continues generating suspects. Yesterday, after the gag order was lifted, it was revealed that Avraham Tshuva, the brother of Yitzhak Tshuva, is the contractor suspected of bribing senior officials in the Netanya Municipality; and Adv. Tsafrir Feirberg, the son of the mayor, has also been arrested for suspicion of accepting benefits. This morning, the police and the Tax Authority detained four additional suspects for questioning, including a senior Netanya Municipality official, two contractors and another suspect, affiliated with a municipality senior official. They have also called further people for questioning.

The investigation, run by the Israel Police National Fraud Unit in cooperation with the Tax Authority's Central District Income Tax Investigations Unit, revolves around suspicions of bribery, fraud, money laundering and tax violations against several figures and relating to real estate projects in Netanya.

According to the suspicions, senior municipality officials and people from their close circle had acted to promote the interests of contractors and developers in the city, in exchange for bribery and benefits of various kinds, while the municipality officials and their affiliates had been subject to a conflict of interest, without reporting it; all the people involved have been suspected of a series of bribery, fraud, money laundering and tax violations.

Mirian Fierberg's attorney, Adv. Nati Simchony from the Herzog Fox & Neeman Law Firm said, "Mrs. Fierberg has been Netanya's mayor for 18 years and has served in various positions in the municipality for four decades. Mrs. Fierberg has always acted with fairness and integrity, with no fault in her conduct. This - she is certain - will the outcome in this case in well. Feirberg respects the law enforcement authorities and will cooperate with investigators in order to reveal the truth."

This affair was exposed two days ago, after an undercover investigation run by the police and the Tax Authority had reached its overt stage; investigators raided the Netanya Municipality, confiscating documents and arresting several suspects.

Yesterday, the Rishon Lezion Magistrates Court Judge Amit Michles extended the remand of the four suspects arrested on Monday to 3-9 days, for the aforementioned suspicions. Avraham Tshuva's arrest was extended until Thursday and Tsafrir Feirberg's arrest until Sunday. Adv. Avraham Gugig and architect Gabi Tetro have also been arrested as part of this affair.

Although the investigation is now overt, investigators have clarified that further arrests are to be expected. As part of their activity this morning, police forces and Tax Authority investigators raided the homes and offices of the suspects, searched them and acquired materials allegedly linked them to these violations. Moreover, since the overt investigation has commenced, bank accounts and assets were confiscated and frozen for future forfeiture requests.

Based on developments in the investigation, the extended detention of some of the suspects will be brought to a court hearing.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on September 7, 2016

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2016

Miriam Feirberg, photo: Tamar Matsafi
Miriam Feirberg, photo: Tamar Matsafi
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