30 Israeli officials questioned over corruption allegations

Israeli police detained 30 officials on Wednesday after a year-long corruption investigation materialized, the police said in a statement on Wednesday.

The police arrived at the homes and offices of the 30 Israeli officials on Wednesday morning and detained them for questioning on their part of a large-scale corruption that included exchange of bribes, personal benefits and illegal appointments of officials.

Reports said that the suspects included Deputy Interior Minister Faina Kirschenbaum, from Israel Beytenu party, and former Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov, both from Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's nationalist party.

Other suspects included heads of regional councils in Israel, directors of government offices and heads of non-profit organizations and public corporations.

The police believed that the suspects illegally transferred funds to nonprofit organizations and regional councils in order to advance interest and launder money through "straw companies." Deputy Interior Minister Kirschenbaum is suspected of giving bribes to members of nonprofit organizations.

"We believe the suspects had conspired in a calculated manner to advance their personal and public interests and receive money for personal use, while committing different crimes in a manner that impeded the administration of their areas of government," the police said in its statement.

The Israel Beytenu party said in response that the investigation is a "witch hunt" conducted amid the upcoming March 17 elections.

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