As he left his house on the way to his interrogation, Bitan said he had strong support from his fellow Likud party members, and decried the leaks from the investigation. I have received good support from my friends in Likud. On Tuesday Bitan petitioned the court with a request he be permitted to give interviews to counter what he described as biased police leaks to the media. He wants to dispel the cloud hanging over his head and [silence] the rumor mill.
During her interrogation, she was asked about a sum of more than NIS 1. Police said that Yosef was interrogated for several hours on the connection he had with Bitan, in light of checks that Bitan gave him a decade ago when he was in trouble due to unregulated loans. Yosef was released after posting a bond. Bitan is reportedly suspected of having received a bribe from a crime figure in return for swaying a real estate tender in his favor when Bitan was serving as deputy mayor of Rishon Lezion.
My enemies are spreading rumors about me. What have I got to do with a crime family? Some 20 Rishon Lezion city officials were arrested or questioned as part of the widening corruption probe, known as Case Among those scooped up by police after a long investigation were Rishon Lezion Mayor Dov Zur, two parliamentary aides, contractors, and businesspeople.
Its dealings are said to include drug trafficking, gambling dens, score-settling, racketeering, weapons dealing and money forgery. It is believed to have carried out multiple assassinations. According to Haaretz, police also suspect Jarushi gave other financial assistance to Bitan.
Bitan, who served in the post between and , is suspected of paying back the money within two years through crooked deals. He is also suspected of receiving gifts and bribes after becoming a member of Knesset in , the report said. Investigators have reportedly gathered considerable evidence including documents, recordings, and video footage.
