The State Prosecutor Economics Division Avia Alef will indict Ramat Gan Mayor Zvi Bar for allegedly accepting over NIS 2 million bribes, as well as money laundering, forgery, fraud, breach of trust, obstruction of justice, and tax evasion.
State Prosecutor Moshe Lador concurs with the decision to indict. The indictment will be subject to a hearing before Lador for Bar in a few months. A final decision on the indictment will be made after the hearing.
The charges against Bar relate to incidents in 2003-08. According to evidence held by the State Prosecutor, Bar accepted bribes from five real estate developers in four different cases to promote the projects, as well as money laundering. One of the developers is also accused of forgery and obstruction of justice.
The Ministry of Justice said that the decision to indict Bar and the five developers followed a complex and widespread investigation by the Israel Police National Fraud Unit headed by Superintendent Yael Harel. The investigators questioned scores of witnesses and seized extensive documents in Israel and overseas.
The Ramat Gan Municipality said in response, "The State Prosecutor's actions are astonishing and irresponsible, in a clear effort to create a sensation and to prejudge and pre-convict the mayor in the media."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 26, 2011
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