Police arrest woman suspected of bilking money from charity that helps Sderot residents

An Ashkelon resident, 34, was taken in for questioning by Police on Sunday under suspicion that she bilked hundreds of thousands of shekels from a charity set up to help residents of Israel's south.

A Be'er Sheva court on Sunday extended the man's remand by four days.

The woman's arrested came after a months-long investigation by undercover agents of the National Fraud Unit of the Israel Police.

The investigation reportedly turned up evidence that from 2006 to 2007 the suspect worked as an accountant for the "Gvanim" charity, during which time she is suspected of funneling money from the charity's coffers to her own pockets.

The Gvanim association is a charity devoted to activities to help disadvantaged people in poor areas of Israel's South, including delivering meals to disabled people.

Police say the funds that were believed to have been stolen were meant for Sderot residents exposed to Qassam rocket attacks.

The suspect also currently faces charges for stealing from an employee, and for stealing a million and a half shekels from a company she once worked for.