The court on Monday extended the detention of Arnon Bar-David, the chairman of Israel's national trade union, the Histadrut, as well as his wife, Hila, and other suspects who were arrested earlier in the day for alleged involvement in a severe corruption scandal involving officials in the organization.
The judge ruled that the detention of Bar-David’s wife was extended “due to suspicion of receiving various types of benefits, obstruction of the investigation, destruction of evidence, and coordination of testimonies.”
The police representative at the hearing stated that it is very likely that additional arrests or detentions will be needed as the investigation proceeds. He noted that Arnon Bar-David cooperated with the interrogators and testified.
The attorney representing the Bar-David couple, Micha Fetman, said during the hearing, “I find it hard to accept the assumption that all investigative actions require detention.” He described the wave of arrests as a “mega attack on the labor union.”
On Monday morning, police raided the offices of the Histadrut, corporations, government companies, municipalities, and 55 private homes. As part of the operation, Lahav 433 investigators arrested eight suspects and detained 27 others from the Histadrut and across various industries, including two mayors and senior local government officials. Many of those arrested or detained are suspected of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
According to the suspicions, a businessman considered a senior figure in the Histadrut distributed jobs and appointed associates of union leaders to various positions - including in local authorities, corporations, and government companies - while also arranging for their appointments as board members in different firms.