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Contractor Yossi Lati
(Archive photo: Doron Golan)
Meanwhile, today (Friday) the detention of Ben Azriel, the son of the chairman of the Kiryat Bialik Planning and Construction Committee and the deputy mayor of Kiryat Bialik, Yossi Azriel, was extended by four days. If there is no significant development in the investigation.
Last Tuesday, as part of an investigation by the National Fraud Investigation Unit (JHA) Blade 433, which has been going on for over a year, the chairman of the Planning and Construction Committee in the Krayot, Azriel, his two sons, Tom and Ben, and three other businessmen, Gil Ohayon, Yogev, were arrested Amar and Avi Atias.
The six were arrested after the investigation became public when, according to the suspicion, Azriel acted in his capacity on the Planning and Building Committee, in collaboration with his family and others, in order to benefit contractors and stakeholders in exchange for benefits for him, his family and associates.
On Sunday, everyone was remanded in custody at the Magistrate’s Court in Haifa, and their detention was extended by six days. On the same day, however, the businessmen appealed to the district and their detention was shortened to three days instead of six. The next day, Ben Azriel also filed an appeal with the district court. Last night (Thursday) a discussion was held on the affairs of the businessmen and their detention was extended once again by five days.
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Ben Azriel in extending his detention
(Photo: Nahum Segal)
Meanwhile, as part of the investigation, on Thursday morning, Yossi Lati from Kiryat Ata was also arrested on suspicion of allegedly bribing Yossi Azriel directly or through others or associates. “This is indeed the case of Mr. Yossi Azriel, who was arrested about 3 days ago, and since then there have been other buds of people, businessmen or other normative people who are arrested and interrogated by the investigative unit,” said Latti’s attorney, Adv. Gabi Shmueli.
“A person who cooperates who has no criminal offense, and today is his 50th birthday with no criminal record, I think the hand is light on the trigger, arrest a normative person whose table is close to 1,000 people in the State of Israel. This is a very well-known contractor in the area. A large number of projects.
“He has a Sunday to sign a very large project of tens of millions that if he does not come in person he will suffer irreversible damage.” Shmueli asked for Latty’s release on parole, but Judge Ziad Fallah extended his detention by five days.
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Yossi Azriel and his defense attorney, Adv. Sasson Bar-Oz
(Photo: Nahum Segal)
As stated, this morning (Friday) Ben Azriel’s second detention was held during which the parties informed the court that they had reached an agreement that the suspect’s detention would be extended until Monday like the other suspects, but in the absence of significant and dramatic development in the investigation, he will be released.
In the absence of Ben Azriel, Adv. Shlomo and Sasson Bar Oz and Adv. Fahad Hajj, responded to the decision: “Second, during these days he will be released.”
First published: 13:36, 25.03.22