10/18/2010 23:05

http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=191894

Gabi Maimon suspected of money laundering following investigation into construction of building project in central Israel.   The director-general of the Interior Ministry, Gabi Maimon and eight additional suspects, including a regional council head, were arrested by police on Monday evening on suspicion of being involved in a real estate bribery and money laundering affair in the town of Yad Binyamin, near Gadera.

The homes were intended to house former residents of Gush Katif who were evacuated from Gaza in 2005. According to suspicions, some of homes were awarded to individuals improperly through bribes.

The suspects, including Mate Yosef Regional Council Head Eli Eksozido, were arrested following the completion of an undercover investigation by the National Economic Crimes Unit and questioned at the unit's offices in Lod.

A police source told The Jerusalem Post that the investigation was focused on five plots of land, adding that it was "much smaller in scope" than the recent Holyland bribery affair.

Maimon is the appointee of his long-time close Shas party confidant, Interior Minister Eli Yishai.

One suspect, Ofer Guetta, was remanded in custody by a Tel Aviv Magistrate until Tuesday evening. The second, Shoshana Friedman, was released to house arrest.

Guetta's attorney, Ofter Bar-Tal, told the court his client was suspected of illegally plotting with another suspect to apply for two tenders, when the terms of the tender limit each individual to one application.

The seven remaining suspects were kept in custody at press time on Monday.

A spokesman for Eli Yishai in Shas declined to comment.