Beit Shemesh affair: Wave of investigations and arrests

Dramatic development has taken place in the last few days in the investigation affair of election fraud in Beit Shemesh, from which the gag order was lifted tonight at midnight:

Since the order was imposed on the case - another suspect was arrested besides the nine original detainees [all were released so far]. The suspect, a resident of Beit Shemesh, election activist in the city, was allegedly linked to the party of 'Koach'. In addition, he is recognized by the public as an activist of the Shlomei Emunim faction. Last Wednesday, police came to his house and summoned him for questioning, but he was not home. The next day he arrived for questioning and was arrested. On Friday, he was brought to court and his remand was extended until tomorrow (Monday).

Today the wave of detainees continued, including two seniors from the headquarters of Mayor Moshe Abutbul. But apparently there is no direct connection between their function and the investigation.

As recalled, the investigation was turned over to the National Unit of the Israel Police for fighting crimes, Lahav 433.

At the same time, city officials argue that the rumors of fraud were also at the polls identified with secular candidate in the city, Eli Cohen.

The history of the affair:

The affair began after intelligence information reached the Jerusalem Police on election day, 18th Cheshvan. As a result, police arrived at an apartment building on 14 Or Sameach Street in Beit Shemesh, where many IDs were found in two apartments, along with clothing - such as wigs and sunglasses - especially for women. The police arrested some people who were in one of the apartments, but about 15 people clashed with police and managed to escape from the place.

Later a man of about 25 arrived with a car. Upon his arrival, police entered the car, and found a printer and ID cards. When he was taken out of the car for his arrest, he threw something in the trash nearby. The police checked the contents of the tin and located an additional quantity of ID cards.

A total of 160 ID cards was found, when after an investigation it was revealed that with 30 of them voting was carried out. At least 15 people with whose IDs voting was performed were interrogated by the police - and released.

The next day the eight detainees were brought to the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court, where the arrest was extended by six days. The only woman detainee of the affair was released under restrictive conditions on the night of the arrest.

On Sunday 27/10, a haredi MK's son was summoned for questioning at the fraud department of Moriah station in Jerusalem, where he was interrogated for two hours after a vehicle belonging to his job and written on his name, served one of the detainees and ID cards were found inside.

After six days in detention, on Monday 24 Cheshvan, the suspects were brought to court again. Six of them were discharged, and the arrest of two was extended until Thursday. However, shortly after remand, one of the detainees was released under restrictive conditions with agreement. Another detainee was released on Thursday.

On Tuesday, twenty-fifth of Cheshvan, the investigation - conducted in Jerusalem – was transferred to the national unit of the Israeli police for fighting crime, Lahav 433, when the day before the court issued a gag order on details of the investigation, as well as any detail that could identify the suspects.

Initially the police suspected that forgeries of IDs were performed, after capturing the printer in the vehicle of one of the suspects, and after a passport photograph of another person was found in one of the IDs - but after a few days the suspicion was removed, and the main suspicion at the moment is that part of the certificates were given by their owners, residents of the city, to vote. Another suspicion is that compensation was given to some of the certificate owners for their use.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!