Last update - 00:00 15/02/2007
Senior supervisor in Trade Ministry suspected of accepting bribes
By Roni Singer-Heruti, Haaretz Correspondent
A senior supervisor in the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of accepting bribes from employers of foreign workers in order to close their files.
The employers in question had been fined for illegal hiring practices. According to the details of one case, the supervisor allegedly accepted a NIS 1,000 bribe for closing a file.
The suspect, a 38-year-old Holon resident, will be brought to the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court on Thursday for an extension of his remand. He is exercising his right to remain silent.
Suspicions at the ministry arose after the supervisor insisted on taking on employer files that were due to be closed anyway. Consequently, the supervisor's employers issued a complaint with the police.
The ensuing investigation indicated that the supervisor had on several occasions accepted bribes or personal favors in return for closing employers' files. Some of the files in question were already slated to be closed, regardless of the bribes.
Police suspect the suspect used to approach employers on his own initiative and offer them the deal.